Resume Tips

Let us start at the beginning. The very beginning.
Before you ever meet with an employer, your interview has begun.
Your resume is the first thing a hiring supervisor sees representing you, and probably the last thing they look at before they make their hiring decision.

Your resume is a marketing tool used to "sell" your skills, experience and education to potential employers. It should be clear, concise and the information in it should be 100% true and verifiable.

There are a few things a person can do to make sure they are presenting the best version of themselves to the person choosing top candidates.

Your interview starts before you ever walk in the door. When an employer is looking to hire a new employee, they look at many, many, resumes. This is your first opportunity to show the hiring manager what you have to offer to the company.

First and foremost, sit down and write out what exactly you are looking for in a position. Are you looking for part time work? Benefits? Do you want to work at a small or large company? Are you qualified for a management position? Formulate an objective explaining in one or two short sentences what it is that you are looking for in a position.
Example: Objective: A customer service position with a well established company in the medical field, where I can build upon my my organizational and people skills.

Next, you will write out your work history starting from your most recent position. Include a summary of each job responsibility for each position in your work history. This exercise is an easy way to get something down on paper, which can be the most daunting task. Write this information down however you like, but I recommend typing it so that once you find a format you can easily plug the information in.

It is very important that your resume is formatted so that it is easy to read. There are many different ways to format a resume, but it is standard that your most recent work experience is the first position listed, and that you work backward chronologically from there.

There is no need to "reinvent the wheel" when it comes to formatting. If you are stuck, and need to find resume formats, a quick internet search can point you in the right direction. Once you find a format that is aesthetically pleasing and makes sense for the type of job you are seeking, you can copy the format and plug your information in.

There is really no need to include hobbies in your resume unless the position to which you are applying directly relates to said hobby. For instance, horseback riding may be your passion, but unless you are applying for jobs in which you will be working with horses, this information is unnecessary.

Once you have put your resume together, it is very important to make sure it is free of spelling and grammatical errors. PLEASE be sure that you have at least one(but preferably two) people that you admire and respect look over your resume and proofread it (it should go without saying that these people should also be good with the spelling and grammar, but I'll say it anyway). Spellchecker programs are excellent tools, but they may not catch every error.

My final piece of advice (for today anyway) is to treat every resume sent as an opportunity to show the potential employer your best, most professional self. If you are emailing resumes out, I recommend getting an email address strictly for your job search. Be sure that your resume is saved with a title such as JohnSmith.doc, not jsbestresumeever.doc. Use proper capitalization and spelling in the body of the email you are sending out.

Most importantly, remember that your skills and experience ARE a good fit for someone's business. It is just a matter of finding the job and presenting yourself in a professional manner.
Good Luck!