Sunday, December 22, 2013

Resume Building Tips


Ever since I graduated from college, creating and editing my resume has been one of the most mundane tasks. Despite its boring and time-consuming nature, resume building is an essential component of your professional life. Whether you’re a recent college grad or a seasoned professional enjoying your current job, your resume should remain up-to-date at all times. A good habit to develop is to update your resume as you complete significant tasks and accomplish career goals on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Additional tips to consider when building or updating your resume are:

·      Keep your resume at one page. Many professionals have a habit of listing every task they have ever completed and every job they have ever worked, typically making their resume more than one page. Multiple pages aren’t needed to show your potential employer you are right for the job. Instead, use your cover letter to go into detail about your past positions, how you completed tasks, and skills you acquired throughout your career.

·      Maintain a running list of accomplishments. As you achieve a goal or complete an assignment, add it to your running list of accomplishments. This will make it easier to update your resume when needed and will save you time digging through emails and thinking intensely about what projects you completed. Developing this habit will also help you tailor your resume to the job you’re applying to (see tip #5).

·      Make your resume results-driven. When employers look at your resume, they want to know how you impacted a company or met a particular goal; therefore, your resume should be results-driven. If you managed a client’s social media account for an initiative, highlight the final social media metrics. If you pitched journalists for a new report, mention the media attention your pitching generated.

·      Be short, sweet at to the [salient] point. It’s not necessary to include every detail of every job you were ever hired to do. Keep your resume short, sweet and to the point. Focus on the most salient points such as the amount of money you managed in a budget or the number of committee members you supervised to prepare for an event.

·      Tailor your resume to the job. When preparing your resume for a job, pay attention to the job description and the skills they are seeking then tailor your resume accordingly. Use your cover letter and resume to show the potential employer you have the right qualifications then speak in further detail about your skills during the interview. Good luck! 


Written by: Jenna Boyer
Twitter @_JennaDanielle_
Email Jenna.Boyer89@gmail.com

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