Excellent Resume Writing is Your Ticket to the Interview You want a new job. It’s a highly competitive marketplace. And it’s the resume that will get you noticed or not. It’s your ticket to the interview. How do you get the best resume possible? Resume writing is both an art and a science. There are people who specialize in resume writing. There are companies that specialize in resume writing. And there are internet sites that will tell you how to do the resume writing for yourself. Which one should you choose? Here’s how to decide. First, ask yourself, how do you feel about resume writing? If the answer is, “I hate it.” Then a resume writing service may be for you. They will pair you up with a professional in the resume writing field in your industry and employment level. That individual will have all the skills necessary to make you look great on paper, know what styles and format work best, and how to present your achievements to their best advantage. This is probably the priciest way to go, however. If you think you’re a decent writer, then spend time on the internet reading up on resume writing. There are sites that will show you how to make your resume stand out, “knock the socks off” the reviewer, and in general get you the edge you want. Other sites will show you which words are more powerful when expressing your value. But, there’s more to resume writing than just reading a few articles. You have some homework to do too. Resume writing today is not just a matter of talking about your responsibilities. It’s about writing an advertising brochure for yourself. What do they teach you in sales school? It’s not about selling features (meaning your qualifications); it’s about selling benefits how your skills will contribute, preferably monetarily, to the company for which you are applying to work. Here’s a quick few questions to complete for your resume writing homework. What are your major accomplishments in each of the jobs you’ve had? What was their value, preferably in numbers, to the company? What percentage did you increase sales or reduce customer complaints, or speed up the manufacturing process? For how many years were you recognized as a star performer? How did the department’s efficiency increase with you at the helm? What other achievements or awards did you receive and how did that benefit the company?
The next step in your resume writing process is to think about what value and benefits you will bring to the new company. For example, are you “a star performer looking to increase efficiency and bottom line profits”?
Resume writing is also about focusing on detail. Parallel structure in your resume is crucial. The use of periods and capitalization should be consistent down to the last detail. Of course, correct grammar and spelling are just as essential. Given all this, if you’ve just decided you can do it, but you need some help, there is resume writing software available. It will guide you through every step of the process. But, you still need to do your homework (see above).