Developing a Great Resume    
   
How to Make a Great First Impression

Ten Things to Avoid

Action Words for Resumes 

Accent on Accomplishments         

Developing A Great Resume

Research among hiring employers has shown the most preferred and effective resume format to use is the chronological layout. 

Here are some tips for developing a great chronological resume: 

1. Start with present or most recent position and work backwards, with the most space devoted to recent employment.

2. Detail only the last three to five positions, or employment covering the last ten or so years. Summarize early positions unless exceptionally relevant to the present.

3. Use month and year designations only. Greater detail can be given in the interview or on the application.

4. Do not repeat details that are common to several positions.

5. Within each position listed, stress the major accomplishments and responsibilities that demonstrate your full compliance to do the job. Once the most significant aspects of your work are clear, it is generally not necessary to include lesser achievements since they will be assumed by the employers.

6. Keep your next job target in mind. 
Describe prior positions and accomplishments that most relate to your targeted job.

7. Education should not be included in the work experience section. Generally speaking , education should go at the top of the resume if completed within the last five years: if more than five years, at the bottom. (This is not a hard and fast rule, however, and you can follow your own instincts whether to emphasize work or education. It might depend on whether or not your course of study is relevant to the job you are seeking.)

8. Try to keep it one page.

The Employer’s Bottom Line About Resumes : How to make a Great First Impression

The top half of your resume has to sell the reader:

• If there is an objective, it should be simply stated with a particular employment goal in mind.
• Your strongest skills and qualifications should be listed either at the top of the resume in a skills summary or in the first job description.
• The position titles and companies should be easy see.
  

The resume should be written with the employer in mind:

• Tailor your resume to the kind of jobs you are seeking. If the jobs are different, your resume should be adapted to reflect each employer’s requirements.
• The qualifications listed in your resume should match those listed in the job description of the position for which you are applying.
• Your accomplishments should stand out.
• The employer should easily be able to determine your accomplishments when reading your work history. Do not include unnecessary details.
• Your qualifications should not be buried in long paragraphs.
• Your resume should have eye appeal.
• It should look clean and professional.

It should have space between paragraphs, 
and there should not be too much information crammed onto one page.

What employers look for when reading a resume: 

• Does the candidate have sufficient and appropriate experience?
• Is the candidate missing critical experience?
• Does the candidate have the required technical knowledge?
• Does the applicant have sufficient supervisory management or leadership skills?
• Is there a solid record of accomplishment?
• How does the candidate compare with others currently under consideration?

Ten Things To Avoid On Your Resume 

1. Too long - preferred length is one page.

2. Disorganized - information is scatted around the page and is difficult to follow.

3. Poorly typed and printed.

4. Overwritten - long paragraphs and sentences - takes too long to say too little.

5. Too sparse - gives only bare essentials of dated and job titles.

6. Not oriented for results - doesn’t show what the candidate accomplished on the job.

7. Too many irrelevancies - height, weight, sex, health and martial status are not needed on today’s resumes.

8. Misspellings, typographical errors, poor grammar - resumes should be carefully proofread before they are printed and mailed.

9. Tries too hard - fancy typesetting and binders, photographs and exotic paper stocks distract from the clarity of the presentations.

10. Misdirected - too many resumes arrive on employers’ desks unrequested, with little or no apparent connections to the organization and lacking cover letters.

Action Words for Resumes

Accent On Accomplishments

Your resume and application should highlight your accomplishments.  Take each of the employers and jobs that you have had and list the three most significant contributions that you made for each position. Don’t forget to use “action words” in describing  your accomplishments.

1.   Employer:                                                    Job Title:

Accomplishments:

A.

B.

C.


2.  Employer:                                                    Job Title:

Accomplishments:

A.

B.

C.

3. Employer:                                                    Job Title:

Accomplishments:

A.

B.

C.