There is no need to wonder why learning how to write a good resume is important. This skill can determine whether a prospective employer finds you interesting enough to bring in for an interview. By knowing how to write a good resume, you’ll be putting yourself at the top of a large pile of applicants. There are a large number of people out there today looking for jobs. If you don’t put that extra effort into creating a truly memorable resume, someone else will and they’ll be the one invited for an interview instead of you.
A resume is simply a one or two page document that sells you as a possible candidate for a job position. Think of writing an advertisement to sell something. You’d write all the points and details of your product in hopes to get someone interested enough to come and look at it. A resume is the same type of idea only you are selling yourself. Don’t make the mistake of simply documenting your experiences, job history and education on a boring piece of paper. If you truly want to get that elusive desired position then take the time to learn how to write a good resume.
Resumes literally have only seconds to grab a prospective employer’s interest. Let’s face it, resumes aren’t the most exciting material to read and there could be hundreds that the employer has to wade through to determine which ones to call back for an interview. They’ll pick up a resume, scan it briefly and if nothing catches their eye, it goes into the reject pile. The person who knows how to write a good resume is the one who is going to catch the reader’s attention. This is where you have to make sure there is something visually appealing about yours to make them take those extra moments and actually read yours. It should be very clean and easy to read. Each section should be described, using strong power words, in as small of a space as possible. A few lines or less should be enough for each section. Make sure the whole document is balanced visually. If you truly want to know how to write a good resume, then make sure you have absolutely no grammatical or spelling errors. On such a sparse sheet any error will jump off the page and be noticed right away. Use the correct format and make sure all the pertinent information is included such as your personal contact information, listings of previous jobs and education history. Many people who don’t know how to write a good resume will just slap something together leaving out many of the primary important points that prospective employers are looking for.
Someone who knows how to write a good resume will begin with researching the job position that is being applied for. Find out what qualifications are needed and what the employer is looking for by reading the job requirements carefully. Then write down everything that you have done and accomplished. Don’t limit yourself to work experiences only. You may find that some of the qualifications needed come from your personal life. Once you have done this, now arrange your thoughts in such a way that you are selling yourself to the prospective employer. Remember to stay with the simple clean look.
Many people shy away from “boasting” but if you want to write a good resume, this is exactly what you have to get over. You need to get past the idea that you’re being a braggart and realize that this is what the employer is looking for. They need to know what you can do and what you are capable of. Try to think of yourself as a product, an entity separate from yourself. Write to sell yourself as a product. Use strong power words to grab the reader’s attention. Write in a confident, assured manner and let the employer know that you are the person for the job and that you’re capable of handling anything that may come your way.