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How To Write Resumes That Get You In the Door – Part I
Posted in: Blog by admin on October 14, 2010
When considering how to write resumes, it is important to recognize that resumes should be targeted for specific jobs and industries and not be generic sales pitches you send in for all advertised positions you may be interested in.
You can create a more general resume that can then be altered to target specific jobs or you can create resumes specific to the needs of certain positions and/or industries. How to write resumes is a skill you can learn and there are many resources available to help you.
To create an effective resume you need to research the industry and company you are targeting and include information that demonstrates your knowledge and appeals to their specific needs. You also need to clearly know your purpose. You may need several variations on your basic resume targeted to different companies in different fields.
How to write resumes in the best way for you will depend on your personal experience, circumstances and objectives. While the chronological resume is the most popular format, it may not be the best for you if you have had gaps in your work history or have worked a number of unrelated, diverse jobs.
The three main types of resumes are chronological, functional and combination resumes. The following is a basic explanation of these different types of resumes:
o Chronological Resumes. The chronological resume format is the most popular form of resume with employers as well as being the easiest type of resume to write. In a chronological resume, you put your most recent employment history first and work backwards so, in fact, it is really written in reverse chronological order.
If you have had a solid work history that shows a career progression, this is the best format to use. However, if you are reentering the workforce, just leaving college or have gaps due to illness or other reasons, a functional format may be more appropriate.
o Functional Resumes. The functional resume format allows you to organize your experience and skills under functional headings rather than under job titles and employer’s names. A functional resume actually avoids mentioning dates and employers at all.
However, this can cause alarms to go off that you are hiding something so all claims need to be able to be substantiated. Having credentials to support your claims can make all the difference.
o Combination Resumes. The combination resume format actually combines the chronological and functional formats, giving the best of both. Skills and experience are listed first under functional headings, however employment history is also listed after it.
This format is an excellent way to emphasize skills and experience while at the same time being transparent about employment history.
In How To Write Resumes That Get You In the Door – Part II we’ll go over four main points to how to write resumes that are professional and effective