numerouno
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Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 11
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 Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:58 am Post subject: 10 Steps to a Winning Resume or CV (& how to avoid them) |
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Article from Australia
1. Content is targeted to the needs of the prospective employer
Time is precious. Just like you, the person reading your Resume or CV never has enough time. Show that you are tuned into the needs of the prospective employer. Don’t dwell on skills, experience or training that has no bearing on the position, or worse still, that is inconsistent with the employers goals. You might be the McDonald’s Burger eating world champion, but if you are applying for a position as a counsellor or life skills coach, this may not be much of a recommendation!
2. Focus on YOUR achievements and contributions rather than activity. Be specific.
How often I have read “I was involved in “X” project in “Y” organisation which was aimed at….” Sorry, but so what?
A more useful statement might read something like “Aardvark Enterprises initiated a project to reduce environmental pollution arising from production methods. I researched and reported on the environmental impacts of production processes and recommended modifications aimed at reducing pollution by 10% over a 2 year period. As a result of my report, the organisation….”
3. Tone is factual, supported by positive language. (Avoid “diminishing” language, such as “just”, “only”, “supported” etc). Refer to #2!!
“I supported a team effort to introduce a new curriculum at…”
Not exactly an attention grabber, is it? What are the facts? How about:
“In order to assist with the introduction of a new curriculum, I researched and analysed curriculum development in several different countries, identifying themes and relevant methodologies. Changes to the curriculum framework subsequently incorporated the learning from my research…”
4. Information readily visible and organised into useful categories
Simple. Make it easy to find and read related pieces of information. e.g. Contact information, education/training, work history, professional associations, publications etc
5. Information consistent with equal opportunity principles
Do you include your date of birth, marital status, number of children, health issues, gender, etc in your Resume?
In many parts of the world it is illegal for employers to make recruitment decisions on these criteria. Being only human, many employers might be interested in this information, but why give them an unnecessary opportunity to discriminate against you?
6. Language is as simple as possible, other than “industry specific” language
Some people can’t help making their Resume or CV too hard to read.
Or to put it another way, there are individuals in many workplaces and communities that demonstrate a significant need to render the articulation of their cognitions in a gratuitous and superfluous manner, consequently creating a convolution of language that ultimately persuades readers to discontinue their exploration of the document at hand.
YUK! Keep it short and simple. Use punctuation, especially full stops.
7. Spell check effectively used
Ewe mussed bare inn mined that electronic spell checkers have there limitations. Nothing replaces the kneed for thorough proof reeding.
I rest my case!
8. Professional Presentation - minimal “decoration”
Your Resume or curriculum vitae has to look sharp, snappy and professional. Strive for a “clean” minimalist style. Excessive use of colour, fancy fonts, redundant graphics and other such devices ultimately make your work hard to read. It also suggests that you lack confidence about your credentials for the position, even if that is not actually the case.
Highly decorative presentation may be appropriate for many other types of documents, but not your career “sales - pitch”
9. Clear type fonts
Clear type fonts (e.g. Arial etc) are much easier to read when handling blocks of text. Make the recruitment process as painless as possible for the employer.
10. Headers and/or footers used to identify date of creation
A small touch, but it does show that you haven’t simply dragged out your “standard issue unemployment pass” from 15 years ago. Make sure that dates within the document are accurate and updated where necessary. Recruitment is a “now” process.
Progress Enterprise
http://www.progressenterprise.com
Resume & CV Frameworks - Building on Strength |
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