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As technology and the web evolves, resumes evolve as well, moving more towards profiles on sites like LinkedIn with resumes that are preformatted, personal sites and bios that are narrative. Still, it's best to have a normal resume at your disposal, to use when trying to get a job.
I, as many other freelancers, use a site to represent me in front of possible employers. Still, there are plenty of occasions when people still want a regular resume from me, and I have one for just this type of occasion. Get a basic resume together, that you can work with, whenever you want to give it to another company. Below you can read some of our tips on building the best resume:
When it comes to writing resumes, everybody seems to think that they're an expert at it. Universities think that their name should be first on your resume, while left column headers that look good are liked by career counselors. While universities would like people to put their names before degrees, companies want the opposite. You can probably get resumes as examples from colleagues as well. Nobody is right though. You need to look at the resume as a recruiter would. Take into consideration the fact that the resume represents you and needs to convince the recruiter to hire you.
There are two main things that you should be concentrating on if you want to prepare a resume to be seen by a recruiter or company, and those things are the content and the formatting. Formatting the resume is the easy part. When you do that, you need to try making it easy to read, even if it's scanned on a computer. This happens usually, since companies will scan the resume and keep it on their computers. Since there is so much competition out there, the content part of the resume is harder, since you need to differentiate yourself from other people that want the same job. Below are some tips you can use to improve your resume:
1) All Left Justified
Don't use templates, fancy bullets or headers in left columns. Just try to keep it as simple as possible. Use left justify for your text. If your resume gets printed or forwarded by the recruiter, using left justify will make sure that it's easy to read. Try reading the resume in rtf format to check how it works, and change it if it doesn't work well.
2) Title and Profile
Make sure you put a title on your resume. You don't need to use the title you currently hold as the resume's title. Just specify the kind of professional you area, like "I am a marketing manager with experience". After the title, add the profile, which should be modified to fit the job you're trying to get. When a recruiter reads your profile, they need to find out what you can do and what you expect from the job. To test the resume, give someone your resume and give them 10 seconds to read it. If they can't determine in that period of time what type of job you're trying to get, the recruiter will not be able to do it either.
3) Personal and Professional Development
It doesn't matter if you're a champion scrap booker or of squash, you should show off your accomplishments if they show that you can commit to something and stick with it. Don't put the personal accomplishments first though, as professional ones are much more important for those looking at your resume. Mention the professional things first, and the personal ones only after that. You can also make a special section in your resume, that will hold the things related to the profession. Add the personal stuff only if you have room for it. No need to make the resume longer than needed. A full triathlon can be mentioned as it can impress someone, but running only a few miles will not interest anyone. Read the resume and see if your skills are all over the place and if they are move them in a single part of the document.
4) Positions Broken Out
You should mention your promotions, as they are important to show off your successes and possibilities. Don't use titles that other people don't understand easily. Simplify them if they can't be understood by everyone. Use a title like Accountant instead of the longer Junior L-Accountant II, which is harder to remember or understand.
5) Overall Differentiation
When a position opens, the recruiter will receive a lot of resumes for the job that is offered. The recruiter will pick 20 on his shortlist, and these people will pretty much have the same qualifications and skills. If all you write in your resume is the skills you have, than you don't stand out compared to the other 20 people. So, try explaining everything, like the way you reached the positions you have and why you did it. Try to avoid putting too many keywords in your resume, as it can make it harder to read. You should choose jobs that you are perfect for, then modify the resume to fit them.
Visit Free Resume Helper: www.freeresumehelper.com
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