Resume and Interview Tips
A resume is a tool to present and effectively sells a person's most relevant and positive credentials for employment. It's a document to market your personality, accomplishments, and experiences to a hiring company. An effective resume gets you an interview that is why it must be properly organized and developed in an appropriate format to entice hiring personnel to ask you for a job interview.
Below are 10 effective resume writing tips to help you generate job interview offers:
1. Use job titles and headings that relate to the job you desire
Determine your career objective prior to writing the resume. You can easily organize and structure the content of your resume when you already have a specific objective at hand. Writing a resume with no clear objective in mind will leave your resume vague and unfocused.
2. Make sure your resume is easy to read.
Construct your resume to read easily. Remember that hiring companies have a lot of resumes to review, so create one that helps the reader scan your resume efficiently and effectively. Type your resume using a standard font type, such as Arial and Times New Roman.
3. Use Design That Grabs Attention.
In order for you to entice your potential employer, your choice of resume design should also be taken into consideration. The first thing that employers notice when scanning resumes is its design and format. The design of your resume must direct attention at the same time showcase your skills and accomplishments. Also, do not use fancy design details as hiring personnel might not consider your resume. Make it formal but not boring. The resume must also be error free with consistent formatting.
4. Create powerful Content That Sells
What really matters for potential employers is the substance and depth of your resume. The design grabs attention, but powerful content which quantifies your achievements can generate more interviews.
5. Organize the content of your resume.
Put the most important information first. Prioritize data according to their importance, impressiveness, and relevance to the job you are applying for.
6. Analyze job ads to identify top skills that potential employers need.
Review job ads in order to match the needs of the hiring company. Read the company description and use the keywords listed in the ads. Remember that the job description is the key element in making an effective resume. A tailored resume for a specific position can definitely increase your chances of getting interviewed.
7. Highlight and sell the benefits of your skills and accomplishments.
Showcase the benefit of your strengths to potential employer. Determine which skills mostly support your career objective. Back up your qualities and accomplishments with real work experiences. That way, hiring personnel will be hooked and not be bored with the list of skills/qualities you provide.
8. Have someone else review your resume.
Get an outside expert opinion on your sample resume before you send it to potential employers. You should always ask a third party to review and give comments because sometimes it is difficult for you to note all your accomplishments. You must encourage them to give feedback. Feedback will really help you discover things you inadvertently missed out in your resume.
9. Use power or action words to make your resume stand out.
Power words can add life and cause your resume or cover letters to stand out. These are action words that relate to the level of position you desired.
10. Consider getting professional help.
Not all of us are expert resume writers and do not know how to organize the content for our resume. We have the data but we do not know how to put it together to create a winning resume. We lack the knowledge to determine what information is relevant and essential. If you are having a hard time creating your resume or you aren't getting interviews, you could consider seeking a professional resume writing service. There are both local and online options available, and the investment is almost always worth the money.
Bob Stanley is career services specialist at Best Price Resume, an online resume writing service in Tampa, FL. The company offers high-quality resumes as well as other career assistance to help clients get a job. Visit their site for more details at www.bestpriceresume.com.