Standing Out

We all hear about how competitive getting a job is today, it’s so frustrating.  So, how can we demand attention from an employer in order to get hired?  I have a solution to your problem.  Write a resume that attracts attention.  After reading my last blog entry on cover letters, it would only make sense to have this one all about writing your resume!  If you have never written a resume before, it sounds more dreadful than it really is.  I promise you can do it! 
     

A resume isn’t like an essay, don’t sweat it.  It actually uses simple sentences, and it’s only a page long.  You must include the following categories: a heading, objective, education, experience, honors and activities, and references.  Before you start, think of writing your resume in this way: all you are really doing is writing about yourself, experiences, and basically letting the hiring manager realize that you really ARE qualified for this job.  Yupp, you are the $#!+.  It’s all about you.   

The first part of your awesome resume should be the heading.  This includes your name, address, e-mail, and phone number.  However, information like your age, weight, and if you’re single is extra stuff the employer really does not care about, so don’t mention it.  Pretty simple so far, right?

Following the header should be the objective.  Not everyone uses this, but it makes it clear to the employer what position you are seeking, what interests you, and what you can do for the company.  Personally, I think it’s a wise idea to use an objective.  If you think of a good one, it will make the employer want to read the rest of your resume.  Here are a few examples of an objective: “Seeking an entry-level position in _ where I can put my _ skills to work and gain new knowledge and experience.”  You can use terms and words like “working in a challenging environment,” “utilize my skills in _,” “to work in an environment where my background in _ will be used and further developed.”  You get the idea.  

And now, the education category.  You’re half way done!  If you haven’t graduated from school yet, write down when you will have the degree, what the degree is in, which school you are going to, your major(s)/minor(s), grade point average (GPA).  For example, mine looks like this. 

Education

The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Relations                                     December 2012

Dean’s List       GPA: 3.6

The fourth section in your resume is all about your experience.  You may be thinking, ‘but I am applying for my first job, I don’t have ANY experience yet!’  The experience category doesn’t just mean work experience.  As you continue to work, this section will build over your lifetime.  So, don’t worry if you don’t have too much to write down.  For recent graduates and students still in school, you can write down classes or an internship you had that prepared you for the job.  When using a class for experience, use the title of the class as a heading and make bullet points of what the class did to prepare you for the job.  For example, here is one of my experiences for a class:

Academic Experience

Journalism 330: TV News:

* Write professionally acceptable news stories for television

       *Shoot and edit stories using I-Movie

*Produce and anchor two television newscasts using studio equipment   

Journalism Internship: WPRO 630 AM “The Dan Yorke Show”

      *Interview and produce ‘Man-on-the-Street’ reports using recording equipment 
      *Frequent discussions with Dan Yorke on-air
      * Edit sound using Adobe Audition and other studio equipment
      *Completed over 120 hours of experience

Unfortunately, hiring managers often don’t have time to read everything on your resume.  When listing your experience, list the bullets with the most importance at the top.  Notice how I wrote down my internship experience?  If your internship is relevant to the job you’re applying for, write it down, experiences you had, and the hours you spent there. The next part of experience should list the most recent jobs you held, what you did for the job, and how long you have been employed there.  For example:

Work Experience

Capital Tanning, Providence, RI                     2010-Present

·                    *Open and close facility and entrusted with the register and nightly cash out

·                    *Promote and sell lotions and tanning packages to customers  

·                     *Maintaining customer satisfaction in an immaculate environment

After experience, you should write down any awards you earned and activities you participated in.  So why is this important?  Awards show you pushed yourself hard enough to achieve them.  For example, winning a scholarship, essay contest, and employee of the month awards score some bonus points for your resume.  The same goes for extra-curricular activities like sports, clubs, societies, organizations, volunteer groups, and being a member of a fraternity or sorority.  This shows the employer that you can balance school work with other things you enjoy and that you are a well-rounded individual.       

The last and final step for writing a resume is to include a list of references.  This step requires a little more than a last-minute phone call.  Providing a reference means listing a person’s name, contact information, and most often, your relationship with that person.  It doesn’t look good if you are putting your parent’s names down as references.  That’s just a little embarrassing.  Instead, utilize your time in school by networking with professors and keeping good relationships with present and past employers.  Here are some other people that qualify to make it on your reference list: volunteer coordinator, your mentor, a family friend, and so on.  Also, it is best to actually let these people know you are using them as a reference to prevent an embarrassing story later on.         

That’s it, you’re done!  Now you can breathe and relax. 

Also keep in mind:

*Did you know most interview questions are generated from your resume?  Oh, yes they are!

*Avoid using a resume template…just take my word for it…lazy bones

*Use 10-12 point font size.  Make category headings slightly larger and bold to stick out. 

*Avoid using printing paper in bright colors: ex/ hot pink, green, or yellow.  It’s not the kind of way you want your resume to stand out

*One more thing about print: use black ink.  Other colors are harsh on the eyes. 

*Check for spelling mistakes-if your resume isn’t perfect the employer may think you are careless, lazy, and other names you probably don’t want to be called.

*Use action verbs when describing your experiences.

*Click this link for more information