Writing A Resume That Gets You Noticed

As the old saying goes, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." In today's business world, of course, that first impression usually does not come from a face-to-face conversation, but from whatever you can tell your future boss about yourself on paper: your resume.

But knowing what information to put on your resume is a challenge. You want to tell your future boss about every noteworthy thing you've ever done, but your future boss only has a precious few seconds to look at your resume and the countless others that pass their way. How do you create a resume that makes a first impression that counts?

Of course, there are the basic things that any employer is going to want to know:

? Job objective, telling what kind of position you are looking for
? Work experience, with employers, positions, and dates listed
? Formal education, with schools and degrees or certificates listed
? Training and skills, really any ability that will set you apart from the rest

But in order to get beyond the boss's circular file, you are going to need to go beyond the basics. Let's start by talking about the forms that your resume might take.

The Chronological Resume

This is a resume where you tell your future employer what you've done over the course of your life that makes you the best choice for the position. The basic categories listed above form the skeleton of this resume, with lists for every school you've attended, job you've held, and training you've received, in chronological order.

The basic data is pretty standard. You can't really change where you've worked, when you went to school, and what degrees you received (at least without risking being found out as dishonest and unethical). Where you can set yourself apart from the pack is in how you present that data.

The words you use to describe the tasks you've performed in a job can communicate much more about you and your capabilities than a bland description ever could. For example, using action words to describe your job tasks can say to your future boss that you are someone who can take initiative rather than someone who simply responds to circumstances.

Some examples of good, action-oriented ways of phrasing things are:

? "Implemented company business directives," rather than "followed my boss's instructions."
? "Diagnosed and corrected problem," rather than "figured out what was wrong."
? "Promoted company products nationwide," rather than "went on sales trips."
? "Coordinated the activities of teams of employees," rather than "received reports from different company departments."

As you present the jobs you've held, the degrees you've received, and the training you've acquired in your chronological resume, remember to use action words and phrases to communicate that there is more to you than just the sum of your activities.

The Skills Resume

A different type of resume with different goals, the skills resume seeks to communicate the capabilities you bring to a job rather than what training and experience you have. The best course to take here is to show yourself in the best possible light.

The main sections of a skills resume are:

? Position: the job for which you are applying.
? Skills and Abilities: the traits and skills you have that make you the person for the job.
? Education and Training: the short version of your formal education and/or training for the job.
? Other: anything and everything that makes you stand out from the rest.

Sometimes, you may have traits that you consider negative, but that can be framed in a positive way for your future boss. Character traits that are complete opposites of one another can both be portrayed as positives. For example, do you think you're "pushy"? In your skills resume, put that you are "assertive". Are you a "push over"? In your skills resume, put that you are "easy to work with".

But even more than discussing character traits, a skills resume tells your prospective employer what you think your best qualities are and why you should be given the job. The keys to this are identifying your most important skills and giving examples of how you've used them in the workplace.

These descriptions should always be kept short and simple. Remember, your future boss only has a few seconds to size you up. A short sentence that communicates the basic facts is far more important and helpful than a paragraph that gives every single detail of the story.

If you can think of positive ways of looking at the things you've accomplished in your life, there is no reason that you cannot communicate those things in exciting ways! Even if you don't think your life has been all that thrilling, you can definitely make it sound that way by using the right words and phrases. The right words can make the qualifications you have sound absolutely indispensable to your future boss and can serve to draw their attention to the areas in your experience and character that will make you the obvious person for that position.

Lauren Danver was formerly a Human Resources Manger for ten years. During that time, she accepted and rejected countless resumes based on their merits. She is now the owner and webmaster of ResumeService.Biz

---

Writing A Resume That Gets You Noticed

As the old saying goes, "you never get a second... Read More

Your Interview Questions Are a Serious Matter

Of course interviews are mainly about you answering the questions... Read More

How Important Is It To Stand Apart From Others In An Interview And How Difficult Is It?

Any professionally trained interviewer can attest these questions are the... Read More

Tips for Getting Your Movie Career Launched

Hollywood helps those who help themselves! In you want to... Read More

Job Interviews: How to Answer the How Do You Handle Stressful Situations? Question

When answering the "How do you handle stressful situations?" question... Read More

Job Hunting Tips: Taking Care of Yourself

Looking for work is generally a miserable undertaking. No matter... Read More

How to Walk Away from an Opportunity thats Wrong for You

Q. I just finished a job interview. Everything went well.... Read More

Petite Modeling: What Should You Wear to Your First modeling Photo Shoot?

If you're looking into making the petite modeling industry your... Read More

How To Receive Payment as a Freelance Translator?

A problem most freelance translators are facing with is how... Read More

Listening for Interview Success

Yes I know that we usually think of interviews as... Read More

10 Tips For Writing A Professional Résumé

1. Start with an attractive layout. Use bold and italics... Read More

Preparation is Key

Interviewing for a new job, or a promotion, can be... Read More

What Every Employee Should Know About How to Overcome Boredom

Do you find yourself easily becoming bored or tired at... Read More

How To Pick The Best Career For You, Part 1

In Part One we'll look at how Positioning or "Coming... Read More

5 Steps to a New Job

The economy is picking up, budgets are new, positions are... Read More

Ten Questions For Entrepreneurs To Ask Themselves

Ten Questions For Entrepreneurs To Ask Themselves1.Do I have the... Read More

Making Yourself More Relevant To The New Workplace

Being a current job seeker can be quite a challenging... Read More

Moving Without A Job: Should You Move to the Location of Your Dreams and THEN Look for a Job?

Moving without a job will challenge your identity -- but... Read More

How to Write a Simple Job Description

1.0 A timely reminderIn a recent decision in a New... Read More

Hair Dressing as a Career

Since the world started hair has been a very important... Read More

Get Off Your Butt and Out of the Rut

It's amazing to see so many people who are prepared... Read More

The Global Work Marketplace - The Revolution Of How Work Gets Done

Will cubicles be a distant memory for today's workforce? Will... Read More

Resume Writing Service Website

Promote Your Resume Business Website!While we make our websites to... Read More

How to Reach Outside Yourself to Advance Your Career

When flipping the channels of your TV, you are bound... Read More

Intuition: The Secret To Your Career Success

For far too long, we moderns have relied on our... Read More

Are You Eking Out a Living, and Cant Get What You Want from a Job?

Many people are working at jobs they don't want and... Read More

Think About a Nursing Degree

If you decide to get a degree in nursing, there... Read More

Sweeping Up Worms

With the opening of a new venture and numerous reporters... Read More

Whiners Need Not Apply

Sometime last summer I decided to host a pity party... Read More

Simple Interviewing That Works

Powerful questions to get below the surface1. Ask for specific... Read More

Telecommuting Resumes

Your resume needs to outline your skills and experience, as... Read More

Dealing With How Would You...? Questions

I'm always preaching about proper preparation prior to interviews. If... Read More

Lets Talk About Trust

I agree with Brooker T. Washington, "Few things help an... Read More