When filling a position in today's competitive job market a prospective employer may directly receive over a hundred or more resumes. With the advent of the Internet companies and recruiters have access to the resumes of thousands of candidates through a myriad of web sites, search engines, and bulletin boards. For the prospective job candidate this increases the odds of being considered for a position from “one in a hundred” to “one in a thousand.” Obviously time constraints do not allow employers to contact hundreds of candidates and the resume becomes a tool to eliminate job applicants rather than to contact them.
The best way to avoid getting lost in a maze of resume submissions and get noticed by potential employers is to employ a professional preparation service to write the resume. Most resume writing services produce quality work at reasonable prices and in most cases charge around $140.
Of course there are those that want to “write their own” resume. When producing a resume stick the ABC's of effective writing Accuracy, Brevity , and Clarity. Keep the details of your resume accurate. Dates of employment, position titles, and work experience need to absolutely factual. Don't lie or exaggerate concerning credentials. Use adjectives and actions verbs to embellish you accomplishments. Be brief; avoid long complex sentences and large blocks of type. Never list an achievement or a skill more than once, even if you performed that function on numerous jobs. Remember your resume is not going to be read initially only scanned by an employer, so keep the text simple. Be clear; spell out acronyms and provide sufficient details about your accomplishments in order to eliminate “questions” the employer may have. Always include a job objective to give the resume focus and direction.
There are three types of resumes generally accepted as standard formats. The Chronological Resume is the most common. It lists work experience by date providing places of employment, education, and work experience grouped separately. A Functional Resume is less common and focuses on the skills and talents you have developed. It is based primarily on your past job titles and positions. The Chronological-Functional Resume can be a powerful and flexible tool for the job seeker. It combines features of both the functional and chronological resume and is considered in the Human Resource Industry as the most effective.
Whether the job seeker elects to prepare their own resume or uses a professional writing service the resume should be factual, positive, brief, emphasize relevant experience, and “stress results.” An effective resume is the “key” to landing the interview. By adhering to a few basic concepts a resume can produce solid results.
