Help with Writing a Resume

By: Chuck Shearer

First, keep the following two things in mind when you write your resume:

1. Your resume is the first contact you make with your prospective employer, and you have only one single chance to make a first impression, and

2. Hiring agents are very busy and merely scan through the piles of resumes in front of them.

Tip #1 - Your Resume Must Be Relevant

Write your resume with the specific job in mind. It might be more work, but it's worth the effort.

Research the company and the job, and include in your resume only what's relevant to the job.

Irrelevant experience only distracts, which wastes the time of the hiring manager.

Know the audience of your resume, and tailor it specifically for them.

Tip #2 - Make The Summary Interesting

Think of the summary at the top of your resume as the teaser at the top of a newspaper article, after the headline. That's how hiring managers read resumes.

Your resume will be just another one of hundreds if you don't catch the hiring manager's attention in the first few paragraphs. Catch their attention with a relevant and compelling summary of you and your experience.

A good summary makes the job of the hiring manager easier, and once again, he'll love you for that.

Tip #3 - Concentrate on Your Benefits

Many resumes bore people to tears. You wonder why most hiring managers keep a box of tissues on their desks? Do most of them have hay fever? No, the boring resumes are driving them to tears.

The resume contains your own individual ad. What do have most ads have in common? They sell you on the benefits of the product, not the features! People only "buy" when they believe they will benefit from what they are buying.

Refrain from boring the hiring manager and you'll be two steps ahead of the crowd.

What is the difference between a benefit and a feature?

"Ten years of developing websites," is a feature.

"Ten years of website development that will enhance corporate image and website search engine rankings," is a benefit.

Tip #4 - Spell Check the Resume

You cannot afford to let your resume out the door with spelling mistakes. What motivation would someone have to hire you if you're too lazy to press F7?

Once the resume goes out the door, you can't take it back.

Make absolutely certain that it's as near perfect as possible.

Spelling mistakes never make a good impression on a prospective employer.

This is one of the most important tips that many people neglect.

Article Source: http://business2u.co.za