How To Create A Resume

Tip # 1: Determine a job objective

This should be clear and specific - no more, no less. Stating an actual job title will be best.

Tip # 2: Choose the right resume format

Depending on your situation, you can choose either a chronological format or a functional format - or perhaps a combination of both.

Tip # 3: List your work experiences and the achievements you made

When you choose the chronological format, you will have to do a listing of your work experiences in reverse chronological order. This will be more convenient for the prospective employers.

It would be to your advantage if you put in specific achievements you were able to make while with previous employers. State in concise and clear terms what these are, the benefits your company gained (cost savings for example), the improvement of employee morale, the participation you took if it was a group effort and etc.

These achievements are important so that the prospective employers will know what to expect when they hire you. They will have an idea on what you are capable of contributing to their departmental and organizational goals. So if you have lots of achievements, you'll find no problem in this area.

Tip # 4: List the skills you have and support it with accomplishments

Relevant specific skills, especially those that have become your expertise, will be of great use to the prospective employers. More so if you are able to show that you are able to apply these skills in actual work scenarios, the more they will be impressed by what you can do.

One should understand that the mere skill alone, if without any accomplishments to back it up, would just be like a bubble - full of air and nothing to show for it. But if one can support it with the contributions you made to your previous employer's problems, you'll easily get the nod of the prospective employers.

Tip # 5: List your educational attainments

This is quite straightforward. The most recent educational achievement should be listed first.

If you have finished masters or advanced degrees then it would definitely be a plus on your end. At these levels, you will be considered for supervisory and managerial positions.

Whether you've been downsized, are looking for a career change or are just starting out, your resume speaks volumes about you. If your resume doesn't make it past the first cut, you're doomed; no matter how qualified you are. Below are ten common mistakes to avoid when putting your resume together. Remember, you only get one chance to make a good first impression.

1. Multiple pages - You need to be concise. Keep it to one page and one page only. If you can't highlight your talents on one page, you're giving the message that you are unorganized and tend to go on and on.

2. Fancy paper - If your skills don't speak for themselves, then your fancy paper isn't going to make a bit of difference.

3. Fancy font - Same as above. Don't try to set yourself apart with a different font on your resume. Set yourself apart by being uniquely qualified.

4. Irrelevant info - No one really cares that you were a singing waiter if you're applying for an accountant job.

5. Outdated information - Does it matter than you had a newspaper route and were on the high school cheerleading squad 24 years ago? No, not in the least. Leave it off.

6. Typos and misspellings - You would think this is an obvious one, but you'd be amazed at the number of resumes received with big blaring mistakes.

7. Falsified information -Greatly elaborated credentials are the same as lies. Do not list diplomas, certifications, affiliations or awards that you did not earn. Just don't do it. It'll come back to bite you in the butt.

8. Attachments - At the resume stage do not send any attachments, whatsoever. If you are granted an interview, at that time you could bring in whatever it is you're so hot to get into the selecting official's hands. The person accepting the resumes will likely just throw it in the round file.

9. Elaborating too much - Place of employment, job title and brief, very brief description of job responsibilities are all you need. Don't complete a whole paragraph for each job you've held.

10. No cover letter - Writing a good cover letter is a bit of an art. However, any cover letter is better than none. Just keep the same principles in mind with your letter: Brevity, relevant and free from typos.

If you can avoid these simple ten resume mistakes, you're more than half way there to getting an interview. Once you have your foot in the door you can really shine for the boss. If you don't make it past the first cut, due to any of the above fatal mistakes, your beautiful resume will be used to wipe up coffee spills or will be added to the recycle pile! Don't let that happen to you.

If you want to write effective resumes - one that will impress prospective employers, you must present your qualifications in a well-organized manner. This will make it easier for the employers to browse over your valuable job experiences and educational achievements.

The special skills, abilities and interests you have that would make you more efficient than the other applicants must be presented well, so that employers get to notice your job application distinctively over all others.

Writing that impressive resume would prove to be to your benefit so that you will have better chances on getting to sign on that job offer you have so longed for.

If you had given out job applications before and have not received a call for an interview, it might be because you have poorly presented yourself in your resume. You may have been qualified for the job - but with a lack of content or in excess of such on your resume, the employers may have had a bad impression about you.

It's about time that you get to write resumes that work. You need to start writing resumes that spark the interests of the prospective employers. Your resumes should be effective in giving you that chance for the next step and next screening process.

You want to be able to send out your job application with a resume that commands attention. This will definitely give you a ticket for that critical job interview.

1. Chronological Format

This is best used if you have a consistent work record and have been in particular area or field for a long time. These emphasizes on your work experience, ideally with the most recent listed first.

2. Functional Format

This is also called the skills-based resume format. The concentration here is on the knowledge, skills and accomplishment acquired due to various exposures to the different fields or due to special studies. This also works well with those who have gaps in their work history.

Tip # 6: List the special trainings and short courses you have attended

Special trainings that are relevant to current job application should be mentioned. This would most likely involve specialized topics specific to a particular field - and if you have such special knowledge, you'll have an edge.

It would even be best if you were able to try applying such knowledge on particular job settings so that you can include them in the resume to support the value of the training attended - and to prove that you learned useful stuff on such trainings.

Tip # 7: Forego mentioning of responsibilities and tasks

Sentences or phrases that mention one's responsibilities and tasks on previous employments should be avoided.

Employers are not concerned so much on these things as they are more interested on what you have actually accomplished in the course of carrying out your job.

The questions that matter most to them would be: "Were you effective in carrying out your responsibilities?" and "What were your major accomplishments?"

Tip # 8: List your personal traits that will be of value

Resourcefulness, having the initiative, proactive, honest, loyal, hardworking, smart and results-oriented - these are what you say you are. And these are better claimed if backed by good and verifiable evidence as well.

So limit such claims to those you can effectively show proof, otherwise it will just seem that you are feeding your ego, or possibly just fooling the reader. Prospective employers will put less weight on such claims that are unverified and unproven sufficiently.

Tip # 9: Don't go too far back in your employment history

It would not be necessary to list all your employment experiences especially if has exceeded more than years, and you have been transferring from one job to another for several times already.

An exception would be if these were relevant experiences to the current position applied for - and if your major accomplishments were on these times.

Tip # 10: Provide a summary for the key points of your resume at the top

A summary of the main points of your qualifications will efficiently help the prospective employers know what you are about and what you can offer.

So do this part carefully. It is at this portion that you can choose the best from among your strong points to emphasize the edge you possess over all others applying for the same position.