1) Lets Get Started With The Resume

The importance of one's resume cannot be stressed enough. This document is a professional reflection of no other person than you. Chances are you are competing with many applicants for a given position. The prospective employer to whom you are interviewing with is looking for a resume that will stand out.

Therefore like a successful retail display, it is critical that your resume possesses interruptive qualities.

The retail display which possesses outstanding graphics, along with an innovative structural design is likely to engender a consumer impulse-like purchase of the product. You will be more apt to purchase the product in that display versus the competitor's product which is on the shelf. The same principle applies to your resume. For example, along with the basic information such as your work and education history, you should attempt to utilize words that will get the attention of the prospective employer.

Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you communicate the fact that you helped your employers achieve their goals. Additionally, you should convey successes you accomplished working with various teams. Taking this approach will show that you have your employer's best interest in mind. Remember that it is the employer whom you need to impress versus tooting your own horn. Too many job applicants have forgotten this very basic idea. So if you want to create a resume that includes those interruptive features, then you will likely have a discernible edge on your competition.

With very few exceptions keep your resume to one page. Enumerate your accomplishments as much as you possibly can. An effective resume is one that gets results. The purpose of a resume is to score that interview.

Be very selective, relative to the data you place on a resume and include only the details that are germane to the prospective employer and the position. Be concise and avoid the use pronouns and articles (a, an, the) whenever possible.

An objective (optional) can immediately help identify the position to which you are applying. A Summary of Qualifications (optional) can offer a list of your skills and accomplishments right at the very beginning of your resume. You can also include why you are writing in the cover letter if the employer asks for one.

With that out of the way, let's move onto the free resume writing tips. To start your resume, begin by determining your objectives (do this prior to writing the resume). Clearly state what sort of a job you want and know what skill-set and experience is needed to do well in that job. After your objectives are determined, prioritize the content of your resume to suit those objectives. You have a small window of time to get the interest of a hiring manager so brevity and focus is essential. A lengthy resume does not translate to higher qualification.

Now let's begin the resume writing process. While your resume is essentially a marketing tool, it shouldn't read like marketing. Avoid over-use of industry jargon. Be factual, concise and state compelling results. You don't need to go into detail about every accomplishment in your resume but companies are looking for more than just training and education today... they are looking for a proven track record.

Remember: the interview is the place to elaborate on your accomplishments and evaluate work-style cultural cues. Not the resume..

1.) Use Bulleted Sentences
Use bullets with short sentences to structure the body of your resume. The main selling points of your resume should be clear and quick to scan. Again, don't worry about the specifics; you will go into the details during the interview. Should you begin your resume with a resume objective statement? Check out our example of a resume objective statement or more information.

2.) Use Action Words
Use action words like prepared, managed, developed, championed, monitored, and presented will cause your resume to stand out. Avoid using the same verb over and over. We've compiled a list of action words, take a look at them: resume word and keyword examples. If your resume is scanned electronically, the computer will pick up on the words. Some companies now scan in your resume and have computers pull those that meet certain criteria. The computers are looking for one thing - the keywords that have been picked by the hiring manager. These are action keywords that relate to the position so not including them or using shortened acronyms could mean your resume is disregarded as a "non-match".

3.) Use %'s, $'s and #'s
You should always use %'s, $'s and #'s. Dollar totals, numbers, and percentages stand out in the body of a resume. Below are two examples of a job duty described with them (good) and without (bad). As you can see by the examples, being specific does not mean being lengthy.

Example 1
Bad: Account manager for advertising agency
Good: Managed 15 strategic accounts billing in excess of $15MM annually

Example 2
Bad: Sold widgets to clients located in the Midwest
Good: Increased sales by 17% in a 5-state territory

4.) Highlight your strengths
Highlight your strengths, and what is most relevant to the potential employer. In-coming resumes are typically reviewed in 10-30 seconds, so put forth the effort and determine which bullets most strongly support your job search objective. Put the strongest and most relevant points first where they are more apt to be read. This is your hook for the reader and the rest of your resume reels them in.

5.) Match the need they have
Match the need they have - Review job postings online, and in the newspapers for positions that interest you. Each position will usually have a brief blurb about the company and the position available. Use the keywords listed in these ads, and match them to the bullet points in your resume. Chances are that you have some of these as key points already, however if you have missed any, add them to your resume. Using a custom resume instead of a generic one will greatly increase your chances of an interview, as you will be a better match in the eyes of the reader.

6.) Be positive
Above all in your resume and interview - you must be positive. Leave out negatives and irrelevant points. If you feel your graduation date will subject you to age discrimination, leave it out of your resume. If you do some duties in your current job that don't support your job search objective, don't include them. Focus on the duties that do support your objective, and leave off irrelevant personal information like your race, weight, and height.

7.) White space is important
Ad Design 101 - White space is important. Open up the newspaper, and take note of which ads first catch your attention. Are they the ads that are jammed full of text or are they ads that have a large amount of unused space ("white space"). This is done to grab your attention, as readers are always attracted to open areas. So don't worry if you are having a hard time filling the page with text; consider increasing leading or kerning to align text to fit the page layout.

8.) Formatting Guidelines
How long should my resume be? What size font should I use? - The font size should be no smaller than 10 point, standard serif or sans serif fonts. Don't use intricate fonts that are hard to read. Keeping your fonts standard will help combat conversion issues from PC to MAC and from one program version to another. The length of your resume should be 1-2 pages. Yes, you read correctly; you can use more than one page. But remember, keep it concise. It's ok to use two pages for your resume, however it is not necessary.

9.) Get 3rd Party Advice
Ask a friend, and get an outside opinion on your resume before sending it off. - Have a friend or review your resume. Since you are so close to your situation, it can be difficult for you to note all your high points and clearly convey all your accomplishments. Having someone subjectively review your resume can give you insight into how others will view your personal marketing materials - would your resume impress them? If not, why? Don't settle for - "it's good", and encourage them to ask questions. The questions of the reader can help you to discover items you inadvertently left off your resume. Take their comments into consideration, and revise your resume accordingly. In addition to adding in missed items, their questions can also point to items on your resume that are confusing to the reader.

10.) Start Applying
OK, you're ready!Apply for jobs that appear to be above your qualifications, apply to positions that are a match, and apply to positions which may be below your level. Why? Perhaps the position below will turn out to be more than it appeared once you interview for them. Or perhaps once you have your foot in the door you can learn of other opportunities. If nothing else, interviewing more and more will increase your interviewing skills. Like anything else, repetition will decrease your nervousness, and increase your skills at attacking tough questions.