To secure a job you must have a resume. There really is no way around it. Not only should you have a resume, but it should be professional and accurate. A great resume is really the key to getting your foot in the door of the organization you really want to work with. To get you started, these are the basic elements of any good resume. You may already know most of these, but in case you didn’t, here they are:
Header – This includes your name and contact information. It should be easy to read and centered at the top of the page.
Career Summary – This is a 5-7 sentence summary of what you have done and are able to do. It focuses on your brand, knowledge and experience. The company needs to know what it can do for them.
Qualifications – This is a short bulleted list of your skills and qualifications for the job (ie keywords for the job title, keywords for what you have done “Process Implementation” or “Territory Sales”, etc.).
Experience – This gives a brief summary of your previous work experience. Include your company name, your job title, the name of your supervisor, and a brief summary of what your duties were.
Education – This provides a brief description of your highest degree of education and / or any additional work-related education. This could include classes or certifications in a certain area that would help you perform well in the company you are applying for.
Those are the main elements of a good resume. Remember to keep it clean, concise, direct, and easy to read. Also, keep it up to date and accurate – don’t add fake or fake jobs to your experience (they’ll catch you). To keep you up to date, take a few minutes each month to review your resume and update any changes that occur, new skills you have mastered, or any changes to your personal contact information.
It is also a great idea to have a friend or loved one review your resume to make sure it is a great profile of who you are, what your background is, and why you are the perfect candidate for the job.
These tips will get you started, and as you apply for more jobs, you’ll get even better at creating and tailoring your resume for jobs.
