Most of us read books. When we enter a bookstore, we already have a pretty good idea of what we want. How do we go about finding it?
One at a time, we pull a book off the shelf, glance over its cover, check out the picture, the author's name, then flip it over and read the blurb on the back. Because our eyes naturally follow the path of least resistance, we opt for the highlights rather than the meatier copy, hoping to gain a quick summary of what is hidden inside.
The procedure is no different for a resume.
Since the goal of a resume is to garner an interview, we want to find ways to encourage our reader, hopefully a recruiter, to read our resume all the way to the end. To accomplish that, we may need to use a little psychology. Like the book buyer, know that the employer's eye will be drawn first to what you highlight.
The following 5 points of resume writing are among the most neglected, but are still so very important. To ensure greatest success in this difficult job market, give them your undivided attention when composing your resume.
1) Stay away from fill-in-the-blank Templates! They are the death of a good resume. They look amateurish, and show a lack of imagination and confidence. I know many people use them because they are unsure how to compose a resume. And it is okay to look at them to learn proper format. Beyond using them as an example of format, though, they can potentially do more harm than good.
Your goal is to stand out in the crowd, not blend in. Originality is what will impress a hiring agent. Chances are, if you fail to get noticed, you also will also fail to get the job. So, think UNIQUE and ORIGINAL.
2) Your Header (or letterhead). The first thing to be noticed on your resume will be your Header, or contact information. While you don't want to blow him out of the water with loud, gaudy copy, subtle distinction is good. You want to separate yourself from the throngs of the blas?. At the very least, it should be aesthetically pleasing.
You can use different fonts, one for the name, perhaps a similar one for the contact information. A larger font for your name, smaller for your address, phone, and email address.
Personally, I don't like all the information stacked one line on top of the other. It looks boxy, like my grandpa's old metal tool box, no imagination. Vary the position to the right, left, or center it, and use a line to separate. Make your line distinctive, double, or with an arrow at the end.
3) The Section Headings. What will be noticed next will be your Headings. If the information the hirer finds there looks promising, his eyes hopefully will drop to the text below it and scan that information. However, if what he finds there is blocky or text-heavy, he may not be encouraged to read on.
4) Lack of White Space: Heavy blocks of text strain the eye. Open it up, make it airy using bullets and indentations. Italics and bolding also relieve eye strain.
If you make your hiring agent's job a little easier, he'll thank you for it. They have a difficult job sifting through many resumes. Things like italics, bold, underlining, white space - make it easier for them to find the information they seek.
5) Submitting online without keywords. Because of the way many employers search through the many resumes they receive nowadays, using specialized software to search for certain words, it is wise to sprinkle some keywords throughout your resume. Also have a Keyword Heading at the end of your resume.
Spend a little time brainstorming before you sit down to write. Make a list of likely terms a prospective employer in your industry would be looking for, like position titles, computer software or hardware you have worked with, any special training or credentials, position titles. And don't forget applicable acronyms like Microsoft Word and MS Word.
As an example, in the field of Finance, some applicable keywords might be: financial, advisor, payroll, analyst, revenue, or ROI.
For Manufacturing, they might be: shipping, receiving, service manager, assembly line, goods, services.
For IT: Project Manager, quality assurance, QA, software developer, software engineering
For Clerical/Administrative: word processing, executive assistant, office manager, coordinator, administrative assistant, Microsoft Office, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Like that exciting novel you just bought and are eager to sit down and read, make your resume something enjoyable for an employer to peruse. Integrate a little psychology into your resume writing; pretend like you are on the other side of the desk, with a morning's worth of resumes to pour over. Who would you most likely want to be nice to?
Did you know that you only have 10 to 15 seconds to make a first impression? What if within that crucial 15 seconds, an important hiring agent still had no clue who you were or what you could contribute to their company? Resume writer Susie Schade-Brewer thinks more than fill-in-the-blank resume templates are required in this tough job market. Since 1999, she has been creating individualized resumes, taking pride in customizing the format to fit each client, and carefully phrasing each line to catch their hiring agent's eye.
Visit her website now to take advantage of her gift - a FREE Resume Critique (*Check website for details).She will be happy to make suggestions to improve your resume's effectiveness and boost your self-confidence for your job search. For many more helpful resume & cover letter tips, or to upload your resume for a FREE critique, please visit http://www.TPWWritingServices.com/Resumes.php. And don't forget Resume Writer Gal's blog, http://www.resumewritergal.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susie_Schade-Brewer
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