Having the right information and style on your resume will directly determine your success in finding a job. Without it, you’re just wasting the employer’s time and yours.

INFORMATION

Clear Direction:

Know what the employer wants and make sure your resume speaks to it. The more information you provide that fits the employer’s needs, the more interested they’ll be to read. Also, try to anticipate what they’re thinking. You’ll surely impress if you talk about things they want before they even want them.

Specific Info:

When it’s appropriate, be painfully specific. Info that might seem trivial to you can be gold to an employer. Info like the number of people you managed and qualitative terms will paint a more detailed picture of your experience

Buzzwords:

You’ve walked the walk, now talk the talk. Show how much knowledge you’ve gained during your experience by including relevant terms and names, software programs and even industry slang.

Name Dropping:

A good amount of success is due simply to who you know. So, use whoever’s name and take advantage of their reputation and the fact that you associated with them. After all, if they thought you were valuable enough to work with then the employer should as well.

Prioritizing:

An employer’s time is very important and limited, which means resumes are often just skimmed in search of the most important and intriguing information. So, make sure that info is at the top and stands out.

STYLE

Paper Quality:

The trick is to stand out. Using a high-quality paper can be a simple and effective way to do that. In a stack of resumes the one printed on nicer, more professional paper is king, and usually read.

Brevity:

If an employer wants to read a novel they’ll get one at the bookstore. Make sure your information is concise. Not only will the employer be able to digest your resume faster, they’ll also be grateful for not taking up too much of their time.

Space:

Be careful your resume doesn’t look like one big paragraph block. Formatting some room to break things up and space things out will make it easier on the eye and easier to read.

Simplicity:

Overkill can kill a resume. Don’t use too many fonts, images, colors, etc. Don’t be too abstract or creative. A resume should be clean and professional with a hint of elegance. Remember, it’s your experience and info that’s truly on display.

DO’s

• Make sure your resume is easy to read and understand.
• Keep the overall length of your resume short and sweet. One page is ideal.
• Highlight all relevant accomplishments and the skills used to attain them.
• Focus only on information that's relevant to your own career goals.
• Neatness counts and presentation is everything. Pay close attention to spelling, grammar and punctuation and, if you’re able, have your resume word processed and printed.

DONT’s

• DON’T include personal references on your resume. Employers that are seriously considering hiring you will ask for them at the appropriate time.
• DON’T use odd-sized paper or loud colors for your resume. Nice quality 8.5 x 11-inch white paper is ideal.
• DON’T include salary history, reasons for leaving previous jobs, or any undesirable information.
• DON’T include references to areas of your life that are not business related. If it’s not directly related to your experience or the job at hand, leave it out.
• DON’T become discouraged if your resume doesn’t land you a job on its own. It never happens. Remember, it’s just a piece of paper that gives employers a brief overview of your experience. You still have to interview and that’s where you can seal the deal.

WRITING YOUR RESUME

Objective Statement

What do you want? What are your career goals? What kind of job are you looking for? Once you decide this it’ll set the tone for the rest of your resume. It will also give the employer a quick and clear idea of where you want to be.

A few tips to writing your Objective Statement:

• Focus on how big of an asset you will be to an employer. Briefly describe what’s in it for them if they hire you.
• Don't be too vague or general.
• Keep it concise and targeted so hiring managers can get the gist with a quick read.
• If you have more than one career goal, create a different resume version for each objective.

Career Summary

Hiring managers are busy people and often inundated with hundreds of resumes. The best way to stand out in the job-seeker crowd is to create a career summary statement. Basically, it’s your career in a nutshell.

Take these four steps to create a winning career summary:

• Conduct Research on Your Ideal Job

  Closely targeting your profile to the employer's needs will garner better results. Start by searching for your ideal job/position. Compare the ads and write a list of common job requirements and preferred qualifications.

• Assess Your Credentials

  What benefits do you offer? If you are lacking in one area, do you make up for it with other credentials?

• Add a Headline

  Hook the employer with a compelling headline. It should include your job target as well as the main benefit of hiring you.

• Keep it Short

  A 4-5 sentence paragraph is ideal.

Employment History

Just like your Objective Statement and Career Summary, your Employment History should be short and to the point. If a hiring manager can quickly and clearly determine your experience and credentials then you’ll have an edge over the competition.

Here are five ways you can jazz up your experience section to capture the attention of hiring managers:

• Ditch the Job Description

  They’re usually boring and cold descriptions that don’t make what you’ve done sound interesting at all.

• Prove Your Value

  Emphasize your accomplishments and provide proof of your potential value.

• Quantify Results

  Wherever possible, include measurable results of your work.

• Use Power Words

  Write with passion because you want the employer to read it with such. The quality of your writing can also determine your chances for an interview. Avoid dull or stale phrases such as "responsible for" and "duties include."

• Be Honest

  Studies indicate that job seekers often lie about their work experiences on their resumes. Lying could end up making you look foolish and ultimately losing you the job. Honesty is always the best policy.

Education

Your Education is just as important as your Employment History. Make sure you list all degrees, certifications and anything else that proves your relevant knowledge.

• Placement

  Depending on what you’re trying to emphasize, people with less than 5 years should put education before experience and people with more than 5 years, vice versa.

• The GPA

  If you are a student or recent graduate, list your GPA if it is 3.0 or higher. Consider including a lower GPA if you are in a very challenging program. Add your major GPA if it's higher than your overall GPA. If your school doesn't use the standard 4.0 scale, avoid confusion by listing the scale (e.g. GPA: 4.1/4.5). As your career progresses, college GPA becomes less important and can be removed.

• Honors

  Include academic honors to show you excelled in your program. For example:

  Ace College -- Springfield, IllinoisBA in Accounting (cum laude), June 2000- Delta Gamma Delta Honor Society, Dean's List, GPA: 3.9

• New Grads

  Students and new grads with little related work experience may use the education section as the centerpiece of their resumes, showcasing academic achievements, extracurricular activities, special projects and related courses.

  For example:

  ABC College -- Brooklyn, New York

  BA in Communications, concentration in advertising, anticipated graduation December 2001

  Senior Project: Currently completing mock advertising campaign for Coca-Cola (billboard/print/TV/radio ads, direct-mail campaign and press releases).

  Related Coursework: Advertising, Advertising Writing, Direct Mail and Telemarketing, Media Plans in Advertising, Marketing and Advertising, Public Relations, Broadcasting

• Degree Incomplete

  If you abandoned an educational program, list the number of credits completed or the type of study undertaken.

  For example:

  College of Staten Island -- Staten Island, New York

  Completed 90 credits toward a BA in political science, 1981 to 1984

• Experienced Job Seekers

  If you are focusing more on experience than education, list the basic facts regarding your degree, including institution name, location, degree, major and date.

  For example:

  New Jersey College -- Newark, New Jersey

  BS in Economics, Minor in Psychology, June 1983

• High School Information

  Include your high school or GED information if you don't have any college credits. If you have college credits, remove references to high school.

• Lack of Educational Credentials

  If you’re concerned that your education won't measure up to HR requirements, don’t despair. In the absence of a degree you can include participating in ongoing training and list your related courses, seminars, conferences and training in the Education section (create a list called "Professional Development"). Your training might be so impressive that a lack of a formal degree is overlooked.

Skills

Your skills can be the extra edge that lands you the job over your competition. Tailor them to the job you’re applying for. The best way to get started is to review several postings for your target job. Look at the ideal requirements in the ads and write a list of frequently repeated skills. Then create a list of your matching skills that you can incorporate in your resume.

Three Types of Skills

• Job-Related: Skills relevant to a specific job.
• Transferable: Skills learned in one field/job that are applicable to different fields/jobs.
• Adaptive: Skills that are subjective and intangible (i.e. personality traits that determine your work style).

Adding Your Skills

When listing your skills, indicate your level of expertise and years of experience. Be honest though, because once you get the interview or job you may need to prove your claims.

Here's a guideline for rating your skill level:

• Beginner: A novice understanding of the skill. You have exposure to the skill and understand its basic concepts but lack experience.
• Intermediate: Between a beginner and an expert. You have experience with and can carry out the skill but don't understand its advanced concepts.
• Expert: A highly developed skill level. You have solid experience and training with the skill and understand advanced concepts. You demonstrate proficiency and superior skill level.

How Many Skills to List

Employers quickly scan resumes, so long lists are not likely to get read. Instead, select 10 to 15 of your strongest, most desirable skills. A short, targeted skills list will be more effective than one that's long and overwhelming.

Additional Information

You can take your resume to the next level by adding additional information that supports and reinforces your qualifications.

Here are some examples:

• Honors & Awards
• Testimonials
• Publications
• Speaking Engagements
• Volunteerism
• Affiliations
• Hobbies