Writing Your Resume

Things have changed in your world, and it’s time to look for a new job.  Or maybe you just want to try something new, something a little more challenging.  Or perhaps you’d rather work for a boss that appreciates all of your efforts.  It’s time to take a look at your resume and write a new one, or update your current resume.

At Dataworkforce, we are constantly evaluating candidates for available positions, and we have seen some pretty stellar resumes, along with a few questionable ones.  We understand what employers are looking for while reading a resume, and we thought we’d share this information with you.

First, before you begin to write anything, be sure to use a widely used program, such as Microsoft Word, to construct your resume.  Most employers have compatibility issues or won’t go through the trouble to try and open your resume with another program.  That’s why it’s best to use the most widely accepted application to construct your resume.  Otherwise, they will most likely move on to the next applicant.  You may also wish to download a resume template, many are available online.

Contact Info

When filling out your contact info, be sure to include your name, phone number, current address and e-mail address.  Make sure your e-mail address is appropriate for a work setting.  An example would be your first and last name at a popular domain, such as jane.doe@dataworkforce.com instead of hotbabe4u@dataworkforce.com.  Presenting yourself with professionalism is essential to landing a new job, and your professional presentation starts with your resume.

Listing Skills

When describing your skills, be sure to list facts and not opinions.  You should include things that were measurable and provide the outcome.  An example would be, “Lead a customer retention training session which yielded an increase in customer satisfaction by 8%.”  This demonstrates your effectiveness within an organization instead of merely stating you trained a few people on customer service.

Education

Articulating your education is also important.  Employers want to assess how much schooling you received and what your GPA was.  This gives them a barometer of how quickly you will catch on to certain tasks.  If you are continuing education, or have attended any training sessions, this demonstrates to prospective employers your willingness to learn.  They will appreciate your efforts for self-improvement and growth.

Accomplishments

When stating your accomplishments, such as “Employee of the Month” or any other achievement, be sure to place this info at the end of your resume.  Employers are interested in the meat of the resume and your accomplishments highlight your skills.  This will leave them with a strong, lasting impression.

When you are done writing your resume, make sure you run a spell check.  Typo’s are very common and often detract from the integrity of your resume.

What to Leave Out of Your Resume

Sometimes, candidates tell too much.  They forget that their resume isn’t a recollection of memories of the good old days.  We often see formatting mistakes, which can be easily avoided by using a pre-formatted template.  The most important thing is to make sure your resume is easy to read and can be skimmed, so it makes sense and there are no “extras” on it.  This is distracting from the content of your resume and instantly the recruiter will wonder, “What’s going on with this applicant?”  I agree it’s important to stand out when applying for a new job, but you want to stand out with your skills, not with the bells and whistles we sometimes see.  Stick to facts and quantify your effectiveness whenever possible.