Improve your image by improving your resume

   In continuing the Image is everything series, getting a job has a lot to do with your image, so it is only appropriate to talk about one tool that will help you get a job, your resume.

Next time you look at your resume, ask yourself if it makes you proud.  Your resume is suppose to be a advertisement about you, so if you are not impressed by it than how are other suppose to feel?

The object of a resume is to take the best things you have done that are relevant to the job you are applying for and emphasize them.  Only the most important points about your work experience should be on your resume.  This is why a lot of people suggest you should only have a 1 page resume.  If you have 2 pages, then you probably have content that is unnecessary to creating a great image about yourself.

Here are some tips that can help you transform your resume into making you great instead of just normal.

 

1. Be Specific when highlighting work experience/accomplishments.
1. Which sounds better? – “Work Duties included preparing tax returns” or “Directly interacted with customer’s during tax return preparation’s to ensure the highest customer satisfaction.”
2. If you worked above and beyond you work duties, say it.
3. Talk about your accomplishments at your job not your duties or responsibilities.  Everyone can perform duties which are just normal.
2. Highlight Summary with Bullets - Make it easy for the employer to read about how good you are.
1. Highlight any key points about yourself on the top of you resume under you contact information with a heading called “Summary”. It is a summary of who you are in a few points.
2. Awards, Leadership positions, relevant hobbies, specific work experience point.
3. Order of Importance
1. We all know how short of an attention span people have when reading something like a resume, so put important stuff first, like the summary.  After reading the summary bullet points they should have an idea about who you are and what you have done.
4. Use Verbs to describe jobs
1. Verbs tend to be stronger than nouns, so use words like “Managed, oversaw, supervised, collaborated” not “managerial responsibilities”
5. Resume Paper
1. This may seems obvious, but if you want to have an image of being professional, your paper better look professional.  Go to Kinko’s or UPS Store.

 

These are just a few tips on what I think are key to a good resume.  There are many more great tips that can be found on the internet. To find more website on resume improvement search “Improve your resume” on Google.

attitude, confidence, image, image is everything, Interview, jobs, resume, series, success