Resume realism

Your resume is your calling card. A professional resume paints a favorable picture of you long before the interviewing process begins. A poorly written resume can ruin your chances of ever getting that first telephone call.

In the current economy, an effectively written resume can help you stand out from the pack.

While writing a resume can seem like an overwhelming task, it actually is a good exercise in assessing yourself. By reviewing your job history and highlighting achievements, you can reevaluate your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you market yourself to prospective employers.

Writing your resume doesn’t require Nobel Prize writing skills. In fact, simple clear, concise resumes are the best. Your resume should accurately and clearly state what you have accomplished in your work life and what you offer the company.

Start off with your name, address, and contact numbers (including your e-mail address). Don’t start off with a “job objective”. It could backfire on you and rule you out of possible other jobs available in a particular company. Present your education and work experience. Then the kinds of jobs for which you are qualified will be evident to prospective employers.

If you have a relatively continuous track record of employment, the chronological approach may be best. Begin with your most recent employment and work backwards.

This isn't the place to explain why you left a job! Only cover this in a face-to-face interview.

Above all, do not embellish your record. Some people get away with lies on their resume for a while, but not in the long run.

Be sure to do more than list past employers and your title. This is the part of your resume that will set you apart from others. You need to let yourself shine here! If you made a significant contribution to your previous employers, then say so.

For example, state that when you worked for XYZ company you “developed a procedure to eliminate wasted product, thereby saving the company $600,000 and also made the product safer.” Be specific. This kind of information makes an employer sit up and take notice. However, don’t go overboard expounding on all your virtues with a twenty-page resume.

If you did not go to college or didn’t finish, don’t cloud over that fact with vague language, prospective employers will pick up on it immediately. If you have good work experience, education becomes less important. Put everything in perspective. If your educational experience is impressive, detail it. If not, deal with your education succinctly and get on with the rest of your resume.

Involvement with professional and civic organizations is always impressive. If you haven’t become active, do so. Not only is it something to list in your resume, but it also furthers your professional knowledge. This can result in the sort of expanding network that is important throughout a career.

Every resume should be accompanied by a cover letter that is brief and to the point. Indicate a sincere interest in the position. Highlight some aspect of your background that applies to this particular position.

A resume should be updated periodically, even if you’re happy with your current job. Mergers and corporate takeovers happen quickly, so individuals should always have a resume ready to go to work for them!