Introduction - Employers are forever on the lookout for the resume that jumps out at them. Not in terms of being fancy and pretty to look at.  Employers are looking to be impressed!  Reading your resume, they want to be able to feel that YOU are the right candidate for the job. They want to be able to do this before ever setting eyes on you!

01. First step - Your resume places you in the front lines when job hunting.  It becomes your calling card. It is not about compelling drama or clever prose; it’s a few simple pages, expertly written, containing information that is all about you. 

Your resume will either place you front and center where all the good jobs are or it will not -- there is no middle ground.

02. Resume writing - To begin, make a decision to discard any former knowledge learned about the “rules” of resume and cover letter writing.  People commonly become stuck in “bad” writing habits from a time gone by.

It is almost a certainty that since you last wrote your resume, much has been learned and even more has been changed.  This is as it should be, for everyday, very creative people are adding to the resume and cover letter writing arsenal.

03. Purpose - Your resume is an important tool that communicates all about YOU.  When it does the job right, you win an interview.

Your resume doesn't simply provide a prospective employer with your work history.  It speaks loud and clear that you have the credentials needed to be a complete success in this new position or career.

04. Presentation - An employer can have hundreds of boring resumes to pour through.  This means when something catches the eye, it must really pop out!

Your resume must impress within the first important seconds or it will not impress at all.  Employers will quickly scan all resumes and then grab for those that catch their eye best.

05. Wow the employer - First of all, who are you writing this resume for?  Your prospective employer will be the one who oversees the day to day operations of the company you want to join. 

They make the hiring decisions and they are entirely invested in ensuring that you are the right one for the job.  This person will care about whether or not you can do a good job for that company and so this is the one you are writing your resume for.

06. Elements - The primary element of an ideal resume contains powerful and assertive statements about your talents, characteristics and accomplishments.  No need to be shy.  You are going for the gold so sell yourself with all that is in you!

The secondary element of an ideal resume will show “you know your stuff” and know it well!  This will be proven by education, experience, work history and any other relevant affiliations that shows the prospective employer that you are a person of substance and not only of design.

07. Objective - Be very clear in defining the name of the job or job title you are so qualified for.  Be specific.  Avoid general terms such as: I am seeking a Management position.  Well, OK, but what kind of Management position are you seeking?  Marketers signal in on one product at a time and so will you!

You will hit the bull’s eye when you define your precise career direction and put that down on paper.

08. Summary - The Summary element of your resume needs to pack a punch to be most effective.  It contains the best about how and why you qualify for the job. 

You want the employer to focus in quickly on this section because it will highlight your most important accomplishments, talents, and qualities.

After reading your Summary, the employer should know, without any doubt, that you are the best man or woman for the job. 

09. Skills + Accomplishments - In the Summary section of your resume, you can brag a little.  In the Skills and Accomplishments section you can brag a little more.

This section will cap off all that qualifies you for your intended position.  You will show your prospective employer that there can be no other and the journey stops with YOU!

10. Resume formatting - The three basic formats of resumes are: Chronological, Functional, and  Chronological/Functional combined.

The Chronological resume is the more structurally formatted of the three.

• Experience section is the key.
• Jobs are listed in detail.
• No focus of skills or achievements at beginning of resume.
• Used generally when remaining in same job or career.
• Caters to conservative type positions.
• Always has an Objective section and Summary section.
• Used especially with legal and academic professions.

11. Basic formats -

• Showcases achievements and major skills from the top.
• Clearly states your strong suits.
• Employer does not need to read through boring job details.
• States (through summary) all you will bring to the table.
• Only brief mention of company names and positions held.

This resume type is ideal when:

• Wishing to change careers, for those who job-jump, for homemakers returning to workplace, for students and the military.

12. Electronic resume - An Electronic Resume will not be read by an employer until it has, first, been scanned by a computer.  More and more, employers are opting for this method of finding the best candidate for their position. 

Even when your qualifications are especially good, and you are very confident that you are the best candidate for the position, unless your resume meets with the standard in formatting, your resume will *not* reach the employer’s desk.

13. Best foot forward - The job of the employer is to pour through, sometimes, hundreds of resumes each and every day.  They have a well-trained eye for scanning and for identifying the candidates that interest them most.  All the same, they must read through all kinds of really boring information.

Some resumes read like a long list of data that is anything like remarkable.  Your resume, however, will not.  

14. Power words - Use These Resume Power Words with Confidence

A

accomplished              advertised           arranged
achieved                     advised               assembled
acquired                     analyzed             assisted
adapted                      appraised           audited
adjusted                     approved            augmented
administered               arbitrated            authored

B

budgeted                    built       

15. Experience - You can use a number of headings here: "Professional Experience," or "Professional History," they both work well.  Shy away from using: "Work History," or just “Employment.”  These are not as effective and they don’t look as professional.

To focus your reader, list all jobs held in reverse chronological order. 

16. Your resume - Now that we have covered the most basic elements of an impressive resume, let’s take a look at some finer points.

Your resume will be written to look appealing to the eye.  This is best accomplished by keeping in mind:

• Structure looks clean and flows well.
• Very easy to read/not at all complicated.
• Easily understood with simple wording and phrases.
• Contains good overall balance.
• Not crowded/contains plenty of white space.
• Sections are concise and shorter when possible.

17. Not in resume -

• RESUME at the top of the your resume
• Flowery "objective" statements
• Salary information
• Addresses of former employers
• Why you left your previous jobs
• The names of supervisors
• Detailed references

While you definitely want to sell yourself, you want to do this honestly.  Do not inflate the truth to put yourself in a better light. You will need to be able to back up all claims about yourself..

18. Resume samples - There are a very wide variety of resume styles set up to contain specific information depending on the experience of the applicant. Resumes can be categorized by profession and experience, such as: Nursing, Legal, Teaching and Business.

Below are a few sample varieties of resumes written a specific way to highlight a specific profession.  There are hundreds more!

19. Cover letters - The cover letter is every bit as important as your resume and should always accompany your resume or CV. Your cover letter introduces you (and your resume) to your prospective employer.

Your cover letter serves to ask for an interview. Your prospective employer then decides whether or not to read your resume to learn more about you. 

20. Outline - Top left hand corner of letter, write your contact details, date

Jennifer Tilly
2150 Orange Grove
New York, NY 55555
(555) 555-5555

February 20, 2005

Write contact details of prospective employer
 
Mr. John Smythe
Director
Icon Management
5854 Tombon Road
New York, NY 55555

Dear Mr. Smythe

Opening paragraph - Use an opening that will bring yourself to the attention of the reader and make clear the exact job you are applying for.  Use one of the following:

21. Key phrases - 1) I am writing to you in response to your advertisement in the Washington Post, dated May 13th, 2004.

2) As you can see from my enclosed resume, my experience and accomplishments match this position’s requirements.

3) I would like to point out......(add text that is most relevant to the position.)

4) During my 5 yrs. with Amsted and Querns, I initiated extensive improvements that resulted in garnering 30 more clients for the period ending....

22. Samples - Cover Letter Sample in Response to a Newspaper Ad

Jennifer Tilly
2150 Orange Grove
New York, NY 55555
(555) 555-5555
February 20, 2005

Mr. John Smythe
Director
Icon Management
5854 Tombon Road
New York, NY 55555

Dear Mr. Smythe

I am writing to you with regards to your advertisement, February 19th, in the Washington Post, for a Sales Assistant, specializing in Public Relations and Marketing. As you can see from my enclosed resume, my experience and qualifications match this position's requirements.

23. Cover letter template - Using a good cover letter template, you can simply fill in the blanks.  You might want to do this until you feel entirely confident in designing your own.  All of the samples given are just a few appropriate ways to write a good cover letter.

Your full name
Your full mailing address
Your City, state, and zip
Your Telephone number(s)
Your Email address

24. Conclusion - Now that you have mastered the art of resume and cover letter writing, it is time to become a seasoned job-hunter.

Everyday, some 32 million people will leave their homes for a job they absolutely hate. Dark

THE END