You want to write your own resume, but youre stucklike with your name. How do you get past the advice and books and the FEAR? Sit down and relax. Its ok. You can do this. Let yourself think about what it is you want to accomplish. Where do you want to work? What do you want to do for a living? Oh, you already know that? Well, how about you jot that down then. That will be a part of your objective statement. Where have you worked before? Write down who you have worked for and when. What did you do while you were there? What was your job title? Did you accomplish anything of major significance? These items will be mentioned in the summary of qualifications section. Employers love to know why youre successful. Its a part of their overall goal to hire people who like to accomplish things like making them more money. Once you have all that, you need to spend some time thinking about school. Ugghh. Not your idea of fun? Ah, cmon. School wasnt that bad, was it? Where did you go and what did you study? Even if its high school, there have to be some subjects that were of greater interest than others. What did you like about your classes and why? Write it down. List the dates you attended, too. Thats another thing about employers. They like to know the details. So, you already have a lot done. Its time to focus on your other activities. Is there anything you do outside of work that complements your work? Like, volunteer activities or hobbies? Think about all of the groups that you belong to or things you are interested in. Write them down. You may not need everything, but its ok to brainstorm them at this point. Well, thats the main thinking part. Arent you glad thats over? Now, it is time to put it all in a cohesive unit. You can either do this on your computer or on a piece of paper. Figure out where you want each section to go on your resume. Its ok. You can do this. Your name and contact information will, of course, go at the top of the page. Next, youll probably want to list your objective statement. Make sure it isnt just focused on you, though. Let the employer know how youre going to apply yourself to their goals their needs. After that, a summary of your qualifications would be great as you need to let the employer know right off just what you can offer. Sell yourself in this section most of all. The employer wants to know if you do the job and will you fit in well with the rest of his/her staff. Your goal is to make that fact apparent in your resume. Yes, you can do the job well better than anyone else, in fact. Then, give some details and examples of how you have done such a great job in the past. Next, you can either list your education or your experience, depending upon which one is the strongest. Everything should be ordered according to how much it will help you achieve your desired goal a job interview. Keep that as your focus. If you are better educated and dont have a lot of experience, list your education first. On the other hand, if you have a lot of experience and not as much education, list that first. Note: Try not to repeat anything. If you state something in your summary of qualifications, either dont list it in the experience section or reword it. Last thing on the resume is your other information. Again, remember that if it contributes to your overall goal, use it. If it doesnt, then discard it. You dont want to distract the employer from your target. From here on, its mostly a matter of revising and refining. Look for words that will add vibrancy and sincerity to your resume. Always try to be as professional as possible. Looks like you are well on your way to a great resume. Hey, that rhymes! Good luck! Carla Vaughan Owner/Webmaster Professional-Resume-Example.com |