(Resume How To's Notes taken from Lori Bumgarner's program found on www.paNashstyle.com)
Writing your resume can feel daunting. Sure there are rules and suggestions and some of these contradict each other. Bottom line- you are selling yourself as a solution to prospective employers. So your resume will be different for EACH job. WOW!
I took Lori Bumgarner’s course and I highly recommend it, it’s good. I have pulled together key concepts for you to consider when you begin to write and rewrite your resume.
Things to do:
Contact info: email, phone/ no address or photo
Include your Linkedin link
Read the job ad VERY carefully and use keywords from the ad throughout
Consistent formatting/no misspellings and watch your grammar
Use bullets not sentences and an active voice
List and quantify accomplishments and mimic the priority order mentioned in the job ad.
Use reverse chronological order of jobs, voluntering and education throughout
Include the official job description and job posting number in your resume in the Objective Statement
Education: Write out degree in full, and minor courses of study if relevant current name of institution and leave off dates unless you are a recent grad.
Things not to do:
Don't use personal pronouns
Don't include your picture
How to do these things:
Coming up with your accomplishments is hard. Ask yourself, what was the purpose of the tasks you're including and what was the achievement?
Hint:Look back at your performance reviews for specific and measurable accomplishments.
List the relevant accomplishment first and then how you did it.
"Increased sales by 70% by developing new email solicitation procedure."
Use present tense for current position, past tense for previous experiences.
More Tips:
Create a master resume with all your information included using the tips listed above. Update this master resume every six months. Use this to cut and paste resumes in response to new opportunities.
It's often easier to write your Professional Profile section after you're written the rest of your resume. You will be clearer about what you want to include.
Three Templates to help you write your resume:
The Chronological Resume is the most common type of resume. Your jobs are listed in historical order. Many HR departments prefer this style of resume and it is ideal if you are interested in advancing within your profession. View the Chronological Resume here.
The Skill Based Resume features the professional skills you’ve acquired followed up by your job history. Focusing on skills instead of job titles is useful if you’re interested in expanding your professional horizon and moving a bit out of your previous career path. You can view a sample of this type of resume here.
Don’t allow your resume to constrain you. If a career shift is your goal you might find the hybrid resume to be a good choice. The hybrid style allows you to call out your passion, achievements and accomplishments and support a career shift. Check out an example of the hybrid resume here.