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Writing A Resume: The Right Way

By George Rogers

Everyone searching for that perfect career understands the need for a resume; not everyone, however, understands the value of a resume. You may have all the skills and qualifications to let you succeed, but, if you don't have the proper resume to display them, you won't get very far. You cannot treat your resume like a piece of paper. It is much more--and, here, we will explain what you need to know to create the resume perfect for your goals.

One: actually have a resume. There is still a number of people who think that an interview will be enough to impress potential employers. This is a mistake. Without a resume, you will be seen as unqualified and unprofessional. The first step is to recognize that you must have a resume!

Two: choosing a resume format. A resume should reflect your best qualities and not focus on negatives. To do this, you should choose a resume style that is tailored to your educational and professional experience.

Chronological Resume: the most commonly used resume, this is used as a basic record of employment, focusing on showing growth of experience by listing jobs and related experiences from most recent to first.

Functional Resume: placing all of your accomplishments at the top, this format focuses less on work history, and more on your skills, abilities and experience. Excellent for those with time gaps between jobs, the functional resume puts emphasis on what you've done and not how long ago you did it.

Between these two resume formats, you must also decide what your goal is:

Targeted: less known but still effective, this tends to focus on abilities and related skills, emphasizing your experiences and successes. It is well-suited if you are seeking a specific title or position and wish to address why you're best for it.

Inventory: if you are not seeking a specific position, this might be the right way to go. An Inventory format showcases your general skills, highlighting various aspects of your life and personality.

Three: writing the resume. What you must realize is that, even if you choose the perfect format for your skills, you may still make mistakes with the wording of those skills. Potential employers will not be impressed by casual phrases or poorly structured ideas. They will also not appreciate an epic retelling of your life--a resume should be succinct, informative and filled only with necessary details. You should never stuff it with anecdotes or highlight skills that do not pertain to the position. These resumes will be tossed.

Four: the value of the edit. Never--never--send a first draft resume to an employer or Internet job site. Instead, read, rewrite and read again. A good edit is essential. Even if your resume displays your skills well, it must still be without error. Your work history will mean little if it is full of spelling mistakes and grammar problems. Always edit. Have another set of eyes read each draft to catch the things you may miss; read and reread until you are certain everything is perfect, and then read again.

These tips seem basic but, sadly, many forget to follow them. If they even bother to write a resume, they do a poor job of it or use a format that only emphasizes their weaknesses. Take care to remember this: a resume represents you. It's your life on paper. Make it work.

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