It is difficult to write a resume. Most of us are not “born salesmen.” Just mentioning the word “sales” usually sends a shiver of fear. If we add to this the fact that since childhood we have been taught that it is not polite to brag about ourselves, it is not surprising that when you are asked to “sell yourself” on a resume you are paralyzed like a deer in front of to the headlights.
So instead of panicking, let’s take apart a resume piece by piece and explain how to write an effective resume. Hopefully this will remove some of the fear of “selling yourself” on paper.
THE BASICS OF THE CV (what every CV MUST have)
Your name, address, and phone number (obviously). But also your email address.
Email addresses are where most people tend to go wrong. I have a friend with an email address called “1hottiger” (a hot tiger). While this may be nice with friends, to a prospective employer it shows bad taste and a lack of maturity (since he’s over 40 years old). If you don’t have a professional-sounding email, create a new one just for your job search. You can get free email addresses from Google, Yahoo, or Hotmail.
Example of an incorrect email address:
ImAPartyGirl @ email dot com
JennysMom @ email dot com
2Hot2Handle @ email dot com
Example of a GOOD email address:
MaryMartin @ email dot com
M.Martin@email dot com
Mary.A.Martin@email dot com
STYLE
When writing a resume, avoid using fancy fonts or colored ink. This only makes you look immature. Also, statistics show that if someone has to struggle to read something, they won’t. Which means your resume is guaranteed to get to the trash faster than most if you use a script font.
When to use an objective instead of a summary
The mission statement
A mission statement is for people who are just starting out or changing careers. Your resume should state your desired job and field (engineering, for example) and show that you have the skills or education (if not work experience) for the position.
When writing your resume, be sure to use “action words” in your mission statement. As they sound, they convey that you are a person willing to work and do your best. You must state your skills, your wishes, and what you want to do FOR the employer.
The WRONG way to set a goal:
Looking for a position in a dynamic company that recognizes and uses my talents. I am looking for a company that promotes from within and recognizes and rewards hard work and talent.
This statement is about YOU. You don’t give the prospective employer any information about you that makes you stand out from the crowd. When writing your resume, try to think from your position. They want someone to get in there and work hard to earn money. As you do?
The RIGHT way to set a goal:
Apply my knowledge gained through my Master of Graphic Design and ABC Advertising Company internship to an entry-level position in the art and marketing department of a major magazine.
The summary statement
A summary statement is for people who have been working for a while. It “sums up” your skills and positions using strong “action words” and sets your qualifications in advance. It’s a way for a prospective employer to “take a look” at your resume and determine if it is worth reading further. You should briefly describe your skills and background and anything you feel you did that was “above and beyond” the nature of the job you had.
BAD Summary
Head of a 15-member department in a large marketing company. Managed the schedules and supervised the daily tasks and work flow of the department.
The reason this is BAD is that it is generic. Many people have jobs like this. What distinguishes you? Let’s try it again:
GOOD Summary
Consummate department manager with 10 years of experience. Created a highly synergistic department of 15 creative marketing employees who generated over $ 5 million in annual sales through the application of teamwork and incentives / rewards.
This is just a sample, but you should have 3-5 strong sentences like this. When writing a resume, showcase the results of your efforts whenever possible, whether it’s to save the company money and / or time, or to generate sales.
Please note that this article is for the person new to the job market or entry-level or lower-level management. If you’ve been in the workforce for a while and you’re on the rise in your field, you’ll definitely want to consider hiring a professional resume writing service. If you visit our website, you will find recommendations for several great professional resume writers who will personally work with you to design and customize your resume to showcase your skills and goals.