Writing a resume for a particular job isn’t always easy. The hardest part is probably starting the resume writing itself. So, before you actually start your resume writing you should think about what you want to do, what image you want to project to the employer and how your past experiences relate to your current aspirations.

It is always a good idea to scribble some of your experiences onto a piece of paper. Remember, the employer is thinking “Why should I speak with the person, how is she/he different from all the other applicants?” Don’t think you have any experience? Then think again. Do a brainstorm and think about,

• Education
• Activities
• Interests
• Work experience
• Honours and awards
• Skills and Abilities

In each heading, think, “What did I do?” and write it down. Once you have all that on paper you should start focusing on bits that are important to the job at hand. Remember a resumes purpose is to show how well you fit a particular job and NOT your life story.

When writing your resume remember that you have about 30 seconds to impress, so write in clear and concise sentences. Now, in the list you wrote above, write a short and concise sentence for each. Each sentence should be structured so that it is interesting and compelling. You should use action verbs at the beginning of each of you sentences.

Signs of a great Resume

Below are some features of a great resume and something to look out for when writing your own resume. Never let poor resume writing affect your chance of getting a job.

Targeted: The more targeted a resume is the more chances you have of getting that interview. Employers want to know exactly what you can do for the company. It is important that you tailor each resume to each job (It will only take a few sentence to do this). Get rid of any information that is not required for a particular job. This will alleviate the tendency to over crowd your resume will too much non-related information.

Well written: It is important that your resume makes an impression with the employer. Use action words, such as, established, implemented, created and streamlined. This will add that extra boost to your resume.

Consistent: Be sure that your resume is logical and easy to read. Be consistent with everything, such as the spacing, margins and borders. You should emphasize your important points with text styles such as a different font, italic or underlining.

Summarized Qualifications: This is perhaps the most important section in your resume. The job objective or summary of qualifications will point out your top selling points. Many users will neglect this point and will miss the opportunity to get noticed, fast.

Self-promoting: Don’t be shy; show your employer your accomplishments, skills and abilities. Employers want to too see that you can indeed perform the job at hand. Show them by letting them know about your experiences and how others have benefited from your productivity.

Abbreviations: Abbreviations should be avoided. It is unprofessional and many are not universally accepted.

No personal stuff: Personal data such as height and weight is unnecessary and seen as unprofessional.

Grammatically correct: Poor grammar is the quickest way for your resume to end up in the ‘rejection pile’. Do not trust your computer’s spell check. Read every word yourself and get someone to read it as well. Spelling mistakes and typos suggest that your standard of work will be of the same poor quality.

Resume Format

Resumes come in many different kind of formats and are generally all accepted by employers. The most important thing is that a resume must grab the employers’ attention within 30 seconds.

The two most popular resume formats are:

1. The chronological resume format
2. The functional resume format

Remember that it is crucial that you highlight your “selling points” to the employer regardless of which resume format you decide on.

The traditional and most commonly used resume format is the chronological format- so named because the core component of the resume is a chronological review of your employment history. The advantage of this resume format is that it highlights your past work experiences and details performed in those previous jobs.

Personal information - What is your name and how can you be reached?
Job Objective - What do you want to do?
Experience - What can you do?
Education - What have you learned?

Chronological resume format

Personal information
The contact information should be placed on top of your resume. It should include your name, address, phone number and email.

Job objective
This is optional. The job objective allows employers to review and analyze your resume and shows employers the direction you want to go.

Employment History
What you put in your employment section will depend on what the job is and what you have done. You should describe your experience in the most interesting and concise. For each job you have held, list the following information:

1. Dates of employment
2. Name of the company you worked for
3. Position title
4. Description of the duties you performed

Education
Include your degrees, where you graduated, certification and awards

Skills and Abilities
This is the place to put important and/or interesting information that does not fit anywhere else. With the advance of technology, it is increasingly important to include a section on computer skills.

References
References or referees are people you know that can attest to your personality and vindicate your skills. Preferably you should have at least 3 people who can serve as your referees. It is important to let your referees know about a possible call so that they are well prepared when the call does come.