10 Tips & 4 Questions for Preparing an Effective Resume

This week I thought I would share some tips on writing a resume. Although many of us dread this like the plague, when you got to do it, you got to do it. A resume is your way to tell an employer or potential client what you can do and capture their interest. The primary purpose of a resume is to get an interview.

1. There is no set resume format. There are only guidelines - name, objective, experience, achievements.

2. Your job objective should be written to relate to both the company and the job description.

3. Your resume does not get you the job alone. It should though be a concise, factual, and positive listing of your education, employment history, and accomplishments.

4. Your resume should be relevant to the job your are applying for. The information included should support your job objective. If something is not relevant to you or the job leave it out.

5. Your experience should be continuous. The resume should be formatted to minimize any unaccountable time.

6. Use strong ACTIVE words for emphasis. Use concise phrases and clauses rather than complete sentences.

7. Show your resume to someone who knows you and can be objective.

8. Make sure your resume is neat, visually appealing, grammatically correct, and typo free.

9. Always include a cover letter referencing the company's needs and your qualifications for the job. The cover letter paper should match the resume. By the way, use quality paper for your resume - even an ivory colored to stand out.

10. Remember your resume only gets you the interview. Your interview gets you hired.

Lastly, the 4 questions your resume should answer:

1. What do you want? (Objective)

2. Why are you qualified to do it? (Summary)

3. Where have you done it? (Experience)

4. How well have you done it? (Achievement)