CAREER STRATEGIES - THE RESUME

Your resume should provide a brief employment history that outlines your responsibilities and achievements at each position. You should also include your education, any notable honors and professional extracurricular interests. Make your resume a thumbnail profile, not an epic. It's your secret weapon to catch the hiring official's interest and secure an interview.

Keep it brief.
Your resume should be no longer than two pages. Include just enough information to create an interview opportunity.

Do it with style.
The type of job and industry you're interested in determines your resume's appearance. You should employ a conservative presentation on plain white, good quality paper with a simple typeface. Make sure your resume copies are laser printed.

Detail and format are critical.
Neatness counts and typographical errors, poor spelling and faulty grammar are unacceptable. Leave wide margins so the interviewer can make notes before, during, and following your meeting. How your resume impresses the hiring official will make all the difference in getting you the interview.

Accentuate the positive.
Your resume should present your professional background in the most positive manner. Use strong confident language to describe your achievements. For example, "As the chief manufacturing engineer, I redesigned our assembly-line process, cutting production time by 20% and this increased profits by project sector by 15%." or "As senior account supervisor, I brought in seven new clients and increased existing client business by 25%. These efforts boosted the agency's profitability by more than 15% over the previous year."
Use action-oriented words such as directed, established, created, designed, produced, developed, throughout your resume to Sell Yourself! Think of your resume as a sales piece for your most important product-You!

Less is more.
Never include age, height, weight, marital status and other extraneous details that will distract from more critical content. Military service is only important if it's related directly to the position you're seeking. Salary requirements aren't appropriate, either. This is usually discussed at the interview stage.

Perfection counts.
It may take a couple of drafts to turn your resume into your ideal sales tool. Examine your first draft carefully, and then refine it. Proofread it carefully. Have someone else proofread it, too. Get another opinion on its content and presentation.

Resume checklist:
Please look over the following checklist to evaluate your resume so that it properly represents you and your skills.

• Does it effectively describe your background?
• Does it highlight your strong points and accomplishments?
• Is it honest and accurate?
• Is it complete, yet concise?
• Is the format clean and attractive?
• Is it a successful sale piece?
• Does it focus on your VALUE to your other employers?
• Does it make you stand out from the crowd?