Many of people put a lot of thought into the outfit they will wear and the things that they will say during an interview. Unfortunately, not everyone puts that much effort into the resume.
This just doesn’t make sense, since the resume is often the first thing that a potential employer will see of you. If you are applying for a job, you will probably first send out a cover letter and a resume. If your resume is not written well, the employer will probably toss it aside or, worse, into the trash because it has not effectively told the employer who you are, why you want the job and why you are the best for this position.
Here are a few things to consider when writing out your resume:
1) Grammar. Seems easy enough but make sure that your grammar and spelling are correct. The worse thing for a potential employer to find in the resume is a typo, because this shows the employer that you either cannot speak or spell well or that you don’t have the time to go back and proofread.
2) Experience. List all valid experience prior to this position and tailor it to fit that position’s needs. You may not think that being a nanny has anything to do with being an administrative assistant, but it certain can. Both jobs require you to follow a schedule and effectively handle several crises at once.
3) Education. They want to see it, even if you did not go to college. Write out the education that you did receive and include any additional courses that you’ve taken since, or certificates that you have been awarded for participating in relevant workshops.
4) References. Make sure that the phone numbers and addresses are correct. The last thing a potential employer wants to find when he goes to contact a previous employer is that you’ve given the wrong phone number and he cannot locate that past employer.
If you just can’t seem to get a great resume together no matter how hard you try or how many books you read on the subject, consider hiring someone to write a resume for you. People do specialize in resume writing, and the cost will be long forgotten once you’ve won that perfect job.