Resume Tips
Writing a resume can be a difficult task which is daunting, confusing and frustrating. The resume is your professional “Business Card”, it is the first, and often, most important tool to get your foot in the door to prospective employers. Knowing how to write a resume is not an exact science. We have searched various industry resources and have put together the following resource articles which we hope will be of help to you in your job search. If you still have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask “Ask Us.” Enjoy your reading!
By Sue Campbell at 1st-Writer.com
Resume Basics – What are they?
What is the most important information on your resume? Is it the great contribution you made to the production efforts of ABC Company last year? Is it the shiny new MBA you recently achieved, with honors? Is it your exceptional communication skills and winning presentational presence?
No. It is your contact information. Who you are and how your reader can reach you is, when all is said and done, the most important information in your entire document.
See, this is getting easier. You know who you are, you know where you live, you know your phone number and e-mail address. You already know the most important information in your entire resume document!
Objective Statement
That done, the next piece of information to include (or not include) is your “objective statement.”
Do you need one? Well, let us take a look at your career history. Is your background consistently (and clearly) in line with the positions you are targeting? Without an objective statement, will the reader know your career direction and will he or she recognize the position for which you are applying?
If your background, for example, is in operations management, and the three most recent positions you have listed are “Operations Manager,” and the position for which you are applying is “Operations Manager,” is there any real need to say you want to be an operations manager?
Objective statements are most useful when:
1. The resume is being submitted for a specific position at a specific company (”To obtain the position of Operations Manager for ABC Company where my extensive skills and background in ______________________, ____________________, and ______________________ may be best applied to achieve ABC’s operational goals”).
2. The candidate is changing career paths (”To use my extensive background in sales, marketing, and personnel management for the benefit of ABC Company’s operational efforts”),
3. The candidate is a recent graduate with little hands-on experience.
4. Any time the career history alone does not present an easily identifiable “fit” for the position being targeted.
At all times when writing your resume, keep your audience, the reader, in mind. You want to make this easy on your reader. Do not write an objective statement that is vague, or one that tells your reader what you are hoping to secure (”a challenging position that offers room for advancement”), but rather what you have to offer.
Professional Summary, Profile, Qualifications or Synopsis
A summary is not simply a brief listing of what you have done, but what you know you can do.
It is a package of skills and characteristics you offer a company. Example:
• Senior Operations Manager offering an impressive #-year background in ___________
• Outstanding ______________, ______________, and _______________ skills. Able to…
• Proven record of (improving, increasing, strengthening)______________, through…
• Computer proficient in…
Remember that criteria you already know? That, and the unique skills and abilities you possess – relevant to the position(s) being targeted – are what go into this section.
For example, if an ad states that “communication skills” are an important criteria for the position, you had better make certain “communication skills” are incorporated into your summary section as one of the skills you possess. You could (and should) take this one step further and let your reader know how these communication skills are used for the benefit of the employer: “build motivated and productive teams, generate long-term client commitments, facilitate communications…”
You can find the criteria for a job through: a job ad, via networking, company research, and research of similar ads (and requirements) for other positions.
Employment History / Career Background
The biggest error candidates make when writing a resume is to tell a “story.” I do not mean writing fiction, although that would be a bad idea, too, but writing their history as if it were a conversation; using lots of “I” statements and “Responsible for” statements. The resume then ends up reading like a dialogue or a laundry list, rather than a professional presentation.
If you had to bring your history down to its most basic form it would be: Problem, Solution, Results.
Every job is held in order to solve a problem, from the receptionist to the company president. Work is generated because there is a problem that needs addressing, the actual work is the solution, and the outcome of that work is the result (positive or negative).
Eliminate the “I” statements and begin each responsibility statement with a strong action word that best denotes your role and level of responsibilities. See some examples of strong action words at the end of this article.
For example:
Instead of: “I manage the daily operations of…” or “I’m responsible for daily operations of…”
Write: “Manage daily operations of…”
Let’s look at this “Problem, Solution, Result” using the receptionist as our example:
The receptionist is hired to solve the problems of: ringing phones, client questions, schedules of meetings and appointments, paperwork management, etc. Those are otherwise known as his or her “responsibilities.”
His or her solution is to: answer the phones in a responsive and timely manner, provide accurate information to clients, organize a logical and workable schedule of appointments and meetings, and coordinate paperwork so that it is easily retrieved on demand.
The results of his or her work (if positive) are: the phones are answered in a timely and efficient manner, information provided to clients is accurate and helpful, schedules and meetings are workable and productive, paperwork is reliably managed and maintained.
How might this information be listed on his or her resume?
Office Manager
ABC Company, City, State
January 2004 – Present
• Direct and oversee busy office operations for leading advertising firm.
• Schedule and coordinate client meetings and corporate appointments for Senior Advertising Director and Marketing Manager.
• Manage multiple-line telephone system, providing fast and efficient service to client and potential client inquiries. Position requires detailed understanding of current industry standards.
• Coordinate and maintain database and paperwork management. Ensure records and schedules are accurate and consistently maintained.
• Improved inquiry response time and accuracy of information by 70% through the creation and implementation of an improved…
Isn’t this an improvement over: “I am responsible for phones, appointment scheduling, and paperwork?” or, worse yet, “I’m just a secretary?”
Each position is important, and each individual who holds that position provides value.
Recognizing, fully, what services you provide, and the appreciable results you produce, should help you in presenting this information to the hiring manager.
Education
If your education is the most recent accomplishment in your career, or if it holds the greatest proof of your qualifications for the position, list it first. If you’ve held positions in your field of choice, and have relevant applied experience, list your relevant work history, first.
Although educational achievements are very important (and sometimes the deciding factor between two otherwise equally qualified candidates), your reader is going to be most interested in experience that shows your skills applied and how employers have benefited from your contributions in the past.
If you feel that your education is a trump card, list it twice; once in your summary, and once again in its own section.
Educational achievements should be formatted so that they complement the rest of your document’s layout – so make sure to present these in a similar format to that of your employment history.
Include your GPA, if high, and include a coursework list if this will add strength to your document. If you have completed a portion of a degree or education, note this for your reader. Examples:
University of USA, City, State . . . 2005
Bachelor of Arts degree; Business Administration/GPA 4.0
University of USA, City, State . . . 2005
Completed two years of Bachelor of Arts Degree Program; Business Administration
Other Information of Interest
List any associations or professional organizations (relevant) for which you are a member. If you do not belong to an organization related to your field or industry, it may worth joining – this is a great way to network with other professionals and leaders in your industry.
List hobbies and outside activities only if they are directly relevant to the position and company being targeted.
List all volunteer work, that is directly relevant to the position or company being targeted, the same as you list any other work on your
document (doesn’t have to be listed separately).
DO NOT list personal information, such as: marital status, physical health, height, weight, number of dependents, gender, marital status, age, race or religion if you’re targeting an American company or any company within the United States.
DO NOT include a picture of yourself with your resume, unless you are in the modeling, speaking or entertainment industries.
To read this article in its original form, please visit Sue Campbell at 1st-Writer.com – over 15 years experience helping clients achieve their career and business goals.
Resume Power Words – Which Ones are for Me?
The well-written resume contains “Power Words”. You can improve your personal resume by using a combination of these words. Resume action verbs, strong action words & power words increase the strength of your resume. They reflect your written communication skills. The resume power words are to help you use what is called “active voice” versus “passive voice” in your resume. When structuring your resume, use strong action verbs to describe your skills, experience & strengths. Power words should also be used in preparing your cover letters & application letters.
Your ultimate goal is to get your resume seen and read by a human being, to get the opportunity to interview with possible employers, so review our list of power words below and include them throughout your resume, cover letter or job application form, using action verbs and phrases to match your experience, the job requirements, and the position you are applying for.
Browse Power Word Categories to find the best words to describe your experience.
- Management, Supervision & Leadership
- Communication & People Skills
- Technical Skills
- Clerical & Administrative
- Research, Development & Analytical
- Problem Solving Skills
- Creative Skills
- Financial Skills
- Teaching Skills
- General Accomplishments
Management, Supervision & Leadership Skills
| Administered Allocated Approved Assigned Chaired Charged Commanded Controlled Coordinated Crafted Delegated Devised Directed Elected Employed Enforced Examined |
Executed Founded Governed Guided Headed Hired Influenced Invested Judged Led Managed Mastered Mediated Motivated Organized Outlined Overhauled |
Administered Allocated Approved Assigned Chaired Charged Commanded Controlled Coordinated Crafted Delegated Devised Directed Elected Employed Enforced Examined |
Communication & People Skills
| Abated Addressed Advised Aided Arbitrated Assembled Assessed Clarified Coached Communicated Composed Conferred Consulted Convinced Cooperated Counseled Critiqued Deciphered |
Defined Directed Discourse Discussed Encouraged Enlisted Examined Exhibited Explained Fabricated Facilitated Furthered Governed Illuminated Interpreted Lectured Mediated Moderated |
Modified Negotiated Perceived Persuaded Promoted Proposed Rated Referred Related Remarked Screened Settled Simplified Spoke Supported Translated Urged Verbalized Wrote |
Technical Skills
| Acquired Amassed Annexed Appraised Arranged Assembled Assessed Attained Audited Catalogued Categorized Classified Collected Compared Compiled Conceived Conceptualized Considered Constructed |
Created Customized Designed Determined Developed Devised Diagnosed Earned Evaluated Examined Formulated Found Gathered Grouped Identified Imagined Indexed Induced Innovated |
Invented Investigated Judged Made Obtained Organized Procured Proved Received Reported Researched Retained Retrieved Reviewed Secured Sorted Summarized Valued |
Problem Solving Skills
| Adapted Adjusted Advanced Altered Amplified Approached Approved Blended Broadened Catapulted Collaborated Combined Commissioned Completed Composed Configured Conformed Connected Contributed Created |
Decided Demystified Discharged Enabled Enacted Enlivened Established Expanded Expedited Facilitated Fashioned Finished Focused Framed Implemented Included Incorporated Increased Initiated Introduced |
Launched Mutated Participated Profiled Promoted Propelled Rectified Reformed Refreshed Reintroduced Remodeled Resolved Revitalized Revolutionized Shaped Started Teamed Transformed Urged |
Creative Skills
| Accelerated Advanced Advertised Arranged Assembled Beguiled Built Caused Completed Composed Conceived Conceptualized Constructed Created Cultivated Defined Demonstrated Designed Detailed Developed |
Devised Displayed Distinguished Diversified Drafted Drove Edited Effected Enticed Fashioned Formalized Fostered Generated Imagined Improvised Invented Invigorated Manipulated Marketed Modified |
Opened Originated Performed Pinpointed Placed Produced Promoted Publicized Published Refreshed Renewed Restored Restructured Selected Showcased Sold Sponsored Started Targeted Traveled Updated |
Financial Skills
| Abated Accepted Accommodated Adjusted Advanced Allocated Altered Amassed Anticipated Arranged Attained Audited Balanced Budgeted Calculated Charted Collated Combined Computed Concluded Considered |
Consolidated Cut Declined Decreased Diversified Endowed Enlarged Estimated Evaluated Examined Exchanged Forecasted Grew Increased Inferred Infused Invested Maximized Mediated Negotiated Offset |
Procured Projected Proposed Purchased Raised Reconciled Reduced Reviewed Revised Saved Stabilized Streamlined Submitted Supplemented Tabulated Trimmed Valued Verified Weighed Yielded |
Teaching Skills
| Advised Aided Altered Appraised Augmented Authored Bolstered Broadened Clarified Coached Corrected Created Cultivated Deciphered Defined Demonstrated Determined |
Developed Educated Enacted Encouraged Established Explained Facilitated Factored Fortified Harvested Incited Indicated Informed Instituted Instructed Interpreted Itemized |
Launched Notified Organized Penned Pioneered Promoted Recommended Refined Reinforced Represented Scanned Served Specified Standardized Stimulated Taught Trained Translated |
General Skills
| Accelerated Accomplished Achieved Acted Allotted Assimilated Benchmarked Bolstered Cemented Commenced Commended Compelled Complemented Completed Confirmed Connected Conserved Contained |
Contracted Cooperated Detailed Discovered Dispatched Diversified Drove Eliminated Enabled Enhanced Enlisted Ensured Exercised Expedited Extended Familiarized Forwarded Furthered |
Grasped Honed Hosted Illustrated Incorporated Instigated Interviewed Mediated Nurtured Perfected Rehabilitated Revised Served Sold Strengthened Targeted Team-built Urged Validated |
To read this article in its original form, please visitSue Campbell at 1st-Writer.com – over 15 years experience helping clients achieve their career and business goals.
Resume Mistakes – What are they?
Eight Worst Resume Mistakes
What are the eight worst mistakes people make when preparing their own resume?
1. Not determining a target or goal for the resume – There are job hunters who mistakenly believe it’s the hiring manager or potential employer’s responsibility to determine what role or position a job hunter will best fill.
When in fact, it’s the job hunters job to know where he or she will best fit in a particular company or organization, and to back up this assessment with proof – through relevant history, experience and achievements.
If you haven’t decided yet the type of positions for which you’re best qualified (you can even choose several positions, you just may need several resumes that will effectively target each), then it’s too early to write an effective resume to navigate a productive job search.
A resume without a target or a goal is like a map without identifying markers or a hope of a destination.
2. Not understanding the needs or interests of the intended reader – for that matter, not understanding who the intended reader is: a potential employer, hiring manager, recruiter, etc. – It may seem like common sense, but every effective writer writes with a specific reader in mind. If you’re not thinking about your reader as you’re writing, then you’re writing for the wrong reason.
Imagine, for example, writing and submitting the perfect lasagna recipe to a business magazine – unless, of course, making the perfect lasagna has led to a lucrative business venture. The recipe may be well written, the content may be interesting, the end product may be mouth-watering, but without the right audience, the target is wrong. Business readers want to read about business, not lasagna.
Understand the needs and interests of your reader and use this understanding as your guide in what to include, and what not to include, in your writing.
The targeted recipient of a resume (hiring manager, potential employer or recruiter) will be interested in learning how a job candidate’s efforts and contributions have benefited employers in the past. Potential employers are less interested in the fact that a candidate’s favorite pastime is gardening – unless, of course, the position being targeted has something to do with horticulture.
A resume is not a good opportunity to create an autobiography of your career life.
A resume is an excellent opportunity to focus on your reader’s needs and interests and present content relevant to those needs.
* Identify the type of work you want to do, with an understanding of what prospective employers will be looking for in candidates applying for the targeted position.
* Include everything about yourself that is relevant to the statement above.
* Leave everything else off.
3. Focusing just on the “duties and responsibilities” of previous positions and not organizing the information so that it effectively highlights and showcases the candidate’s strong points, achievements, and accomplishments – A resume shouldn’t just describe what a candidate has done, but should include the benefits of a candidate’s efforts and contributions, and include quantitative information that best defines the level and scope of the responsibility and achievement.
Imagine the difference between the statements “Led projects” and “Led major ____________ projects with budgets of $350K to $1 million, or “Sold sprockets” and “Sold sprockets to new market avenues, achieving recognition as ABC’s Top Seller for five consecutive quarters” or “Oversaw production” and “Led production and increased productivity by 45% through the implementation of improved…”
4. Leaving off quantitative information (e.g. “Increased sales by 50%”, “Reduced costs by $50K per year”, “Led a team of 35 professionals in…”) – Quantitative information provides a sense of the size and scope of the positions and responsibilities held, and the real value of stated achievements.
Simply stating “Increased profits” for example, may leave your reader saying “so what?” You could increase profits by 1% and still make the claim. Saying that you “Increased profits by $1 million within six months” or “Increased profits by 75% within the first year” gives your reader a greater sense of the actual achievement, and may leave him or her anticipating the same great results – via hiring you.
Before you consider inflating your results, make sure you look at point #8 of this article. Your achievements, just as everything else in this document, need to be factual.
5. Forgetting to tell the reader HOW – While some of the “how” is best left to the interview stage, some of it needs to be explained in the resume, too. Telling your reader how you achieved your various successes allows your reader to get a better sense of your ability, capability and knowledge. It also allows the reader to get a visual impression of you providing these same great solutions and results for their company or organization.
For example, look at the difference between these two statements and consider how each makes you view the abilities and achievements of the writer:
“Increased annual sales by 45%”
Or
“Increased annual sales by 45% through the implementation of improved processes that enabled company to establish OEM relationships and international channels.”
If establishing OEM or international channels is important to your target organization, the second statement, and the second candidate, is going to offer a stronger indication of potential value and success. In fact, the second statement actually illustrates THREE achievements: increased sales, improved processes, and establishment of new and profitable channels.
6. Using passive language, repetitive statements, or the wrong terminology – Reading a resume littered with the statement “Responsibilities include” can put a reader to sleep, particularly a reader on his or her 40th resume. Repetitive terms, such as Managed, Managed, Managed, or “Duties included,” can do the same.
Did you know that most resumes receive an initial “reading” time of 15 seconds, or less? If you start each of your responsibility statements with “Responsibilities include:” you’ve just reduced that “reading” time to 10 seconds or under.
Begin each of your responsibility statements with a strong action word that best denotes your role and level of responsibility, and vary these terms to keep the reading interesting. For example, “Manage” is a strong action word and a good choice, but not if used repetitively. It should be varied with other action words, some of which may be more accurate, such as Direct, Lead, Supervise and Control.
See list of action words.
It is also important to use the right terminology for the position and industry being targeted. You wouldn’t expect a teacher to write “Trained students in…” because it’s the wrong terminology for the industry. A teacher “teaches.” A trainer – trains. A facilitator – facilitates. You get the idea.
Use the correct terminology for your position and industry.
7. Using gimmicks, such as brightly colored or decorated paper or unusual formats (distracting layouts or unusual presentations, such as brochures). These may get attention, but possibly not the type of attention you intend – As a professional resume writer, I occasionally receive offers from outside companies telling me how they can turn my clients’ resumes into “something that will really stand out in the crowd,” such as a PowerPoint presentation. The idea is to incorporate the resume into a PowerPoint presentation that can then be put on a CD-Rom and delivered to potential employers – the potential employer is then required to load it into their computer (not likely to happen) and watch… what? Some of these presentations include a musical backdrop. Others suggested a type of “recorded audition” by the job candidate. Sort of a one-sided interview.
Attention grabbing, possibly. But what gimmicks fail to consider is the recipient’s time. If you’re in receipt of a hundred or more resumes, and it’s your job to fill a specific position with a qualified candidate, within a certain deadline – in addition to all the other responsibilities of your position – do you have time for this?
8. Thinking that inflating or exaggerating (or out-and-out lying about) past experiences or achievements will make your resume more effective or make your job search more productive. (It won’t.) – In case you didn’t know, Joseph J. Ellis is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian who has written some of my favorite books, including ” American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson,” which won the National Book Award in 1997. To say that Joseph J. Ellis is impressive would be an understatement.
Why, then, would someone as accomplished as Joseph J. Ellis decide to fabricate his past?
Fabricating personal history and achievements is an idea that some job seekers have embraced without appreciating the full consequence of their actions. It’s always a mistake.
In an interview with The Boston Globe in 2000, Joseph J. Ellis told an interviewer that he went to Vietnam in 1965 as a platoon leader and paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division. Ellis said that his Vietnam service included duty in Saigon on the staff of Gen. William C. Westmoreland, the American commander in Vietnam. He shared similar Vietnam experiences with his Mount Holyoke College students whom he taught. But after reviewing public records and interviewing some of Ellis’s friends and colleagues, the Globe reported in 2001 that Ellis’s military record was not true. He was suspended for a year without pay by Mount Holyoke. Emory University’s David Garrow, a fellow historian, declared “Knowingly being dishonest in class is just as great an act of moral turpitude as being knowingly dishonest or inaccurate in your written work.” And we’re talking about the Pulitzer Prize-winning Joseph J. Ellis!
Ellis quickly apologized and issued a public statement. He doesn’t know why he fabricated his past, and he deeply regrets the decision. The irony, of course, is that he had no need to fabricate his past. His genuine accomplishments are impressive and real.
So while fabricating your past may create initial interest, the outcome can be devastating. Imagine getting hired under false pretenses and doing a fantastic job in your new position. If your employer finds out that you lied on your resume or application (even if this is revealed years after the fact – even if you’ve done a fantastic job in the interim) – everything about you can become suspect and you can be fired.
Stick to the truth.
To read this article in its original form, please visitSue Campbell at 1st-Writer.com – over 15 years experience helping clients achieve their career and business goals.