How
To Write A Résumé
The
best way to write a resume and why you need a resume. A resume is a
marketing piece for the goal of getting an
interview. In most cases it is the first impression of you to
a
hiring manager. If you want them to see you it is in your
best
interest to make your resume a strong story.
How do you go
about writing a resume? Resume writing is a fine art, and
something you can master. To begin, write down your technical skill
sets, i.e. computer skills, technical machine skills, major
responsibilities and successes. Specific training that you may have
received. Write down your degrees and certifications and when
and
where you obtained them.
Then, start with your most current
job. Go through your day mentally and write down everything you do on a
daily basis. Next, write everything you do on a weekly basis, biweekly,
monthly, quarterly, every 6 months and every year. Some tasks are done
daily and some are done to summarize or plan for future tasks. (These
are tasks that do not occur daily, but are important to bring up to the
hiring manager.) Be sure to include all of the software you use, the
designs you are doing, technology you are working with and so on.
Go
through this process with every job you have performed for the last 10
years. Hiring managers are most interested in what you are doing now,
not what you did 20 years ago. They want to hire someone who is current
with the latest technology. For jobs greater than 10 years back, you
can briefly summarize things, unless they highlight a skill that is
important for the hiring manager to know. .
Next, make sure
you have all dates organized on the resume. Write your resume
backwards, starting from the most current job and moving to the least
current. Include start and end dates, including the month and year you
began and ended your job. If there are any gaps in your job history,
explain the gaps.
Now you are ready to make your resume.
Formatting your resume is important. Make sure everything is uniform.
Do not throw in too many different fonts and type styles. Also, make
sure the type styles are easy to read. Do not put all of your type in
CAPS. Make sure you space things appropriately to make them stand out.
Bold things to make them stand out, but do not bold too much or they
will not stand out.
Make sure you use spell checker. In
addition to using spell checker, have a few friends review your resume
for spelling errors and clarity of content. There is nothing that
reduces your chances quicker than not knowing how to spell things or
sloppy formatting.
How to do resume writing is not
complicated, but, it is systematic. If you take the time you should end
up with a winning resume that tells the hiring manager why they should
interview and hire you instead of someone else.
References
Preparing
your job references in advance is critical. Before you leave your job
it is crucial to ask your supervisor if he/she will provide a
professional reference for you. Be sure to get his/her personal email
and
cell phone or home phone, because if they leave the company you will no
longer be able to find them. If you are not in good graces with your
supervisor, than ask someone else who is at a management level above
you if they will provide employment references.
Putting
"references available upon request" is wasted space on your resume.
When we are interviewing candidates for contract or permanent placement
we always ask them for professional references. We prefer three past
managers they have worked for, but if they do not have three we at
least want one and the other two can be someone who knows of their work
on a technical basis. This can be coworkers or dotted line coworkers,
customers, vendors, anyone who is familiar with the technical expertise
you provide on the job. Personal references are not important in most
cases.
Professional references should provide information
the customer cannot get during the job interview or to confirm specific
duties, responsibilities and successes.
Thank
You Letter
Composing
and forwarding a job interview thank you letter should be done
immediately after your interview. Do not wait a few days as your memory
of what transpired will diminish.
A thank you letter after
the interview can give you one more opportunity to shine. Phrasing in
your
job interview thank you should be short and concise. Do not go on
incessantly or you can oversell yourself. Just be brief and to the
point.
Make a list of interview thank you notes. Jot down a
few main things that you want to highlight about your interview. Be
sure to get down the correct spelling of the hiring manager's first and
last name. Make sure you spell everything correctly in your thank you
letter. A spelling error can potentially kill the job offer so check
and re-check everything you write in advance.
Post interview
thank you letters are not as common as you may think so taking the time
to write a thank you letter after an interview shows respect for the
hiring manager and a keen interest in the job. All companies are
looking to hire people who are enthusiastic about the opportunity they
have available. Make sure that comes across in your job interview thank
you letter.
One final note is to send the thank you letter
by email so it arrives when you are still fresh on the hiring manager's
mind. Most good decisions are made instantaneously, but if the decision
maker is wavering the job interview thank you may be what is needed to
win the offer.