Learning how to write a professional resume is of utmost importance. It is an essential tool that you need to use to effectively sell yourself to a potential employer. The objective of a professional resume is to showcase you as an attractive choice for a job opening and guarantee a spot in the interview process. Employers are inundated with resumes, but by having the right professional resume in hand, you will increase your chances of having it read.
Before you Even Start Writing a Professional Resume
Before writing your resume, outline it. Write down all the job experiences/ job description , skills and accomplishments first and then select the ones that are best suited for the job you are applying for.
If you are applying for a position as an executive assistant, it is highly unlikely that they will care if you worked in a kitchen of a restaurant. However, and this is the caveat, if you can somehow demonstrate how you can translate the skills you understood in the kitchen to being an executive assistant, then write it in your resume. Just do not talk about the hours you spent in front of the top range.
A resume is a succinct summary of a person’s education, work experience, and relevant qualifications. Prior to writing a professional resume, research the company and the field you are applying for to specifically tailor the resume. Do not use standard templates when writing a professional resume as prospective employers can spot them a mile away. You want your professional resume to be personal and stand out from all the others.
Here is a list of things you need to do when writing your professional resume
Always tailor a resume for different employers by placing emphasis on the experience and skills you have that the company is looking for.
Keep your resume to one page and do not use the backside.
Make sure there are a lot of white spaces as well as a border.
Use underline and bold for headings and only use one font and font size.
Do not use first person or pronouns, but use action verbs whenever possible.
Try to not repeat phrases or words in your resume.
Utilize bullet points for lists as it makes it easier to read a resume rather than big, chunky paragraphs.
Do not forget to proofread your professional resume when you are done as employers will disregard all resumes with grammatical and spelling errors, no matter how qualified for the job you may seem.
What Needs to be Included in a Professional Resume
Always make sure your name, address, phone number and email address are at the top of the page. Also to be included in your resume is work experience, accomplishments and all relevant skills.
When possible, use numbers to provide a more accurate representation of the scale of projects you have undertaken. Give relevant examples showcasing various traits that are necessary for the new job opportunity, including communications skills and leadership skills. Do not say you have those skills, show that you do.
What not to Have in your Professional Resume
While there is much you need to put into your resume, there is also a lot that you need to keep out. Personal and unrelated information should never be included. You do not have to put down your religion, race, or any of that as employers are not allowed to ask. Do not write down salary expectations unless required to do so in a cover letter.
Even then, give an approximation and write that you are flexible based on the requirements of the job. Do not include the phrase “references available upon request,” because an employer already assumes this to be true. It just takes up extra space on the resume.
While understanding how to write a professional resume may seem like a daunting task, it really is not. By knowing the right tools, you can whip up a professional resume in no time!
How to Write a Cover Letter for a Resume
Understanding how to write a cover letter for a resume is extremely important. The cover letter is the most critical component in getting your resume read by the prospective employer. If a cover letter is horribly written, both the cover letter AND the resume will get thrown in the trash. You need to nail the cover letter in hopes of having your resume read and then getting an interview for the job.
Here are some tips for how you can perfect the art of the cover letter.
Cite all External Recommendations
One of the biggest complaints that many employers state is that they constantly read “Recommendations are available upon request.” Most employers do not have time to go looking for recommendations before they even meet you. If you have a good recommendation, get a quick quote and make it one of the focal points of your cover letter. Your skills and qualifications sound a lot better when someone else is saying them, or else it just sounds like needless bragging.
Cover Letter Templates With a Twist
The internet is great for many things; one thing it is not good for is cover letter templates. You do not know how many other people have used that template and it ensures your cover letter looks like anyone else’s. Potential employers spend a lot of time reading over cover letters and they can spot a template from a mile away. You can use a template to organize your thoughts but change it up a bit before sending it out.
Find Out all you can about the Company you are applying to
Every cover letter you write should be specifically tailored for the job. Any employer can spot out a generic cover letter that has probably been used for a number of job searches. The way to tailor your cover letter is simple – do some research on the company.
You do not have to do heavy research or try out the products; just click the “About Us” and the FAQ section. Get a rough idea and then lead off with that. If you demonstrate you did your homework while figuring out how to write a cover letter for a resume, the employer will see that you are serious about the position being offered.
Do not be Formal, Be Personal
The common thought is that your cover letter needs to be formal to make a good first impression. And while it is important to show that you can write properly, you do not want to sound like a robot with no personality. People are going to hire people they like and it is not only about mission statements and requirements.
In many cases, if your cover letter is good, even if you do not possess all the requirements, an employer will be willing to meet with you for an interview. Remember, before they meet you, all they have is your cover letter, so you want to show some of yourself in it.
State why you are Perfect for the Job
A cover letter is just like a speech you would give to become class president. You want to provide the specific reasons why you should be selected as class president. You want to tell them why they need to put your name on the ballot.
Do not put in all this information about who you are, a cover letter is not an autobiography. They can read that stuff in your resume. Provide interesting and unique facts that the employer will not read on the resume. Do not say, “I will be good for this job because…” Make it conversational.
Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!
A cover letter needs to demonstrate professionalism and if the potential employer sees grammatical and spelling errors, the last thing they are going to think is that you are professional. Many throw out cover letters and resumes upon seeing errors. Have someone read the cover letter when you are done writing it to ensure it is written perfectly.
Learning how to write a cover letter for a resume is one thing, but if you know how to do it properly, you increase the chances of having them read your resume and schedule an interview.
A professional resume gives a good impression in your interview . If you know the small points then it helps in your career also
In the next topic we will discuss how resume helps in you interview and also how to write objective for your resume .
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