Effective Resume Writing
Berlow is a description of how to write a quick and easy Resume that will give you a good chance of landing that job.
Many a great Resume has been written replete with goals and career prospects yet the interviews just don’t come. Many people write Résumés that seem good to them but prospective employers don’t even take the time to look at them. How can you get an employer to take the time to review your qualifications and see just how good you are? Employers are busy people and when a Human Resources manager has to wade through 500 Résumés you can rest assured that very early on they will weed out the wordy applications. Next a manager wants to know what you can do for the business and they are not interested in how you want to further your career, or what your projected goals are for the next 10 years or so. They want to know what you can do to make their business look and perform better. Below is a pro-forma of a Resume` that I have developed and found that answers most questions before they are even asked.
Résumé is a word that means ‘brief’ or a quick view of a Curriculum Vitae which is a detailed view at the course of your working life, so to make it convenient you should be able to fit your Resume` on one sheet of paper. At the most, you should have two sheets that can be printed back to back.
The Process
- In the top centre of the page type the word Résumé in capital letters.
- In the top left hand corner of your page two spaces down you should have an area subtitled, (Personal Details), where you put all your relevant details.
- Next you should have a subtitle of your formal qualifications, that is, degrees and certificates that you hold.
- Here you should detail all of your working experience beginning from the most recent.
- The HR manager is not interested in what you think you can do he wants to know what you have done successfully. Remember, they look for longevity in a position as well as responsibility.
- Next you should put a subheading for Skills. This is things that you are good at, or qualified for that make you an interesting person and useful to the company to which you are applying.
- Next put a subheading of Hobbies and Interests, basically so the manager can see that you have a life outside of working.
- Finally most employers will require at least three Character Referees who can attest to your character. Usually they do not want relatives included here.
- When you have finished you should have approximately one page summing up all of your experience and abilities. When you are finished it should look something like the example below.
RÉSUMÉ
Personal Details:
John Citizen
43 Stewart Street
Pittsburgh PA 34589
D.O.B. 08 – 20 – 1968
Phone: 281-345-9087
Cell: 281-465-7865
Email: citijo@hotmail.com
URL: www.citizenmedia.com
Qualifications:
Master of Arts (TESOL) UNC Chapel Hill
Bachelor of Arts (English Literature) UNC Pembroke
Certificate of Baseball Umpires of America (1995)
Certificate of Computer Technology Pope Community College
Certificate of American Soccer Federation Referees Association
Work Experience:
Employer Position Duties
2001 – 2009 Hull Community College Lecturer English Comp
1994 – 2000 Carter County Schools Teacher English Lit
1991 – 1994 Barker County Schools Teacher Language Arts
1987 – 1990 Burger King Manager Rosters, keys
1984 – 1986 MacDonald’s Rest. Cook, Cleaner Cooking/cleaning
Skills:
Languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, French, German
Other: PADI Advanced Scuba Diver, DAN 1st Aid Cert, Sports, Creative Writing, Copy Writing, Guitar
Hobbies & Interests
Reading, Creative Writing, Languages, Sports, Sciences, History
Referees:
Rev Lester Hasbury, Pittsburgh Baptist Congregation, PA USA, 287-576-9876
Mr. William Smith, Principal Pine High School, Barker, PA, USA 384-890-1235
Dr. Mary Johnson, General Practice Physician, Barker PA, USA 383-876-4576
