What is a Resume and Why do I need one?

A resume is an honest, easy to read, impressive summary of your "occupational self" on paper! It tells:

...who you are as an employee.
...what your employment history has been.
...what your strengths are.
...what skills and abilities you have.
...why the prospective employer should call you in for an interview.

The information you choose and how you present it should boldly (but not arrogantly) build an argument as to why an employer should consider you as a prospective employee. The resume is a screening device for the employer. The average resume gets about 30 seconds of attention in the employer's initial review, so you must represent yourself briefly and concisely. Every word must count! Be precise and toot your own horn. The resume is the tool that you should use as your best opportunity to be an advocate for yourself.

Remember, the purpose of the resume is to get an interview for the type of job you want and making the kind of wage or salary you need to make. Always assess whether it is "working" or "not working" and don't be afraid to change it. If it isn't working, try something different until you can make it work. If it works, think in terms of "how can I change it to make it better." Remember, it is your resume. Everyone that writes resumes has their own "style" based on their education, experience, training, etc..... Get their input but then YOU make the decision for your own resume.

The KEY to a successful resume...skill identification and presentation!

There are many important aspects to a resume. Everyone has a different way of putting one together and in most cases, there is no "right way" or "wrong way." However, there are some common characteristics that appear to be most successful in getting people job interviews and jobs.

The strongest, most important, and most effective difference in a successful resume that works is how you describe your skills, abilities, and responsibilities from previous employment.

Think about the jobs you have had... What were your responsibilities? What did you do? What skills and abilities did you utilize? List all of your previous work experiences and what you did on the job. Don't take anything for granted. Be specific! Whenever possible, incorporate value into your statements by explaining not only what you did, but how well you did it. Consider the following two situations, for example:

Receptionist ABC:

• Answered phone
• Greeted plant visitors
• Made appointments
• Sorted incoming mail

Receptionist XYZ:

• Received incoming calls on three business lines, determined nature of call, and effectively transferred caller to destination with 99% accuracy.
• Maintained log of phone calls, time of call, nature of business, and person called upon.
• Monitored coming and going of staff ensuring callers and walk-in
• customers were directed to appropriate and available personnel.
• Collected, sorted, and distributed mail and messages to staff members at
• regular intervals throughout the day.
• Greeted visitors to plant and issued visitor passes when necessary.
• Arranged future appointments for staff upon request.

Who are you more impressed with. . . Receptionist ABC or XYZ?