Tips For Resume Writing

When writing a resume you should consider it a tool for marketing yourself. Clear, concise and accurate content is essential, and appearance is important, in order to grab the attention of the reader.  Most Consultants spend less than a minute reading resumes, so it’s vital that your first impression counts and that you sell yourself and your abilities.

If you are asked to/or elect to include a picture with your resume it is important to ensure it is a professional picture not a social one.

An ‘application in writing’ means that you are required to send your resume as well as a covering letter.

‘Key Criteria/Specific Criteria’ are used by some companies as a part of their application process.  If these are asked for you are required to provide a response to all criteria listed.  If you do not meet all of the criteria, but feel you would be suitable for the role anyway, include a brief response explaining why.

A resume should contain basic factual information, including all your personal details, contact details, education, qualifications and employment details.

Try to limit your resume to one page and make sure all the information is written crisply and clearly. Although you can keep the basic foundation of your resume constant, remember to tailor it to the job for which you are applying.

Spend a little time researching the company (or companies) you are applying to. It is time well spent as it will give you focus and direction when tailoring your resume for the role. If the company name is not provided consider the industry type and the size of the company and use these cues.  The job description provided should provide information as to what the employer is looking for in a candidate, and the skills, abilities and experience needed.

Style:

There is no set style for resumes, so choose a resume format and then stick to it. The two most commonly used formats are;

• Chronological Resume - skills and experience with functional titles
• Functional Resume - job titles listing your most recent job first

Always type your resume –if you don’t have a computer at home, your local library generally has public access computers.

While we encourage limiting the use of paper and paper recycling – never print your resume on both sides of the page - use a separate sheet for every page.

Use black ink on good quality white (A4) paper.

Fancy fonts and coloured paper only detract from your resume and generally do not impress Consultants or Employers – unless you are applying for a role that would use these skills exclusively and specifically.

Use the same fonts and heading styles throughout the document to keep the overall style consistent.

Make sure your name and contact details are in a prominent position and easy to read.  There is little point in spending hours on a resume which fails to identify who is being promoted.

Check, recheck, and then double check again, to ensure spelling and grammar and correct.   Resumes should never contain spelling and grammar errors.

Spelling mistakes will undermine any claims you may have made relating to professionalism and attention to detail!

If possible have somebody else cast their eye over your finished product.   A fresh set of eyes are more likely to pick up mistakes that you might have missed after spending hours over your work.

Time is the key in preparing your resume. Give yourself as much time as possible to prepare a really good resume.

You need to allow for proofing, critiquing, multiple drafts, and the inevitable computer crashes and getting it right.

There are varied opinions about the value of including an ‘objective’ statement in your resume. If you elect to include one keep it short.  One or two concise, attention grabbing sentences are all that is required. Use an objective statement to set the tone for your resume making sure it is also tailored to the position, or company, that you are applying to.

KEY POINTS:

Your resume should include:

• Name and contact details
• Education
• Work experience
• Skills
• Hobbies and interests
• Referees

Do:

• Keep your resume to one page if possible, two maximum.
• Include a profile with a brief summary about yourself.
• Follow a chronological order – for employment history and education/qualifications start with the most recent position and work back.
• Include a skills set, i.e.: IT ability, foreign languages and other skills
• List any professional bodies of which you are a member.
• Include all work experience and qualifications.
• Include a driver’s license information, and list all classes if more than one is held.
• You will be expected to provide certified copies of all education/qualifications/certificates etc if you are interviewed.

Dont:

• Leave any gaps in your experience.
• Include statements such as: “I am a highly motivated individual with strong communication skills,” unless you can provide supporting evidence.
• Put your resume in a folder or bind it. Most companies will want to photocopy your resume and then file it, bindings and covers just get in the way.
• Put your current work telephone number unless you are happy to be contacted there.
• Include any jargon or slang.
• Don’t try to cram everything into your resume, but do try to put in all relevant and appropriate experience.

Keep it concise, ensure it is well written, and remember to leave lots of white space by using wide margins - this creates an uncluttered look.

THE COVER LETTER

The aim of a Cover letter is to establish why you, and your specific experience, are perfect for the role you are applying for.  The letter should compliment your resume and grab the prospective employer’s attention.

Feeling confident is always a good way to start – a confident tone expresses itself in a letter.

If you know the name of the employer the address the letter directly, always ensuring you spell their name properly, some people are very offended by having their name misspelt. 

If you do not know the name of the employer you could call the company and ask, in some instances you will be given the name, in others they may prefer not to divulge that information, in that case address the letter to Dear Sir/Madam,

Begin your letter by stating your reason for applying for the role – i.e.

• you believe your experience is relevant to the role, or
• you admire the company because of their community support initiatives or
• you aspire to work for a company in their industry because …

(If you have done a little research about the company you may find out all sorts of issues that might make you even more keen to work with them.)

The aim of the cover letter to support your resume and should establish the wealth of positive abilities and skills you can bring to the company.

Address specific issues around the role, reading the job description should provide you with enough information to write a good cover letter.

Always end the letter with a positive and confident statement such as, “I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.”