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LINKS TO RESUME RESOURCES

WHY DO I NEED A RESUME?

FIVE ELEMENTS OF A STRONG RESUME

Include these five things and get noticed by employers

If you want a potential employer to see you as an organized, intelligent, high-performing professional, you need to make that clear with your resume. You can do that by organizing your resume well and adding some key elements, including these:

Multiple formats. This is the 21st century: you'll need to provide your resume in various formats in order to get the word out to employers. You should have digital resume, which you can upload easily to job search websites like Indeed. Consider making two versions of an electronic resume: one that is text only with spacing to indicate new sections, and one that is formatted as you would like. You should also have a printed resume on hand to provide during interviews.
Summary up top. You have a moment to get the attention of your resume reviewer before he or she needs to move on to the next resume in the stack. Make the most of that moment by offering a short profile of you and your work at the top of the page. You should include key accomplishments and a sense of your career focus. Make sure you use active verbs and vivid language.
Keywords. Employers often use computer scanners to review resumes in order to weed out those that don't meet the minimum job requirements. You need to make sure your resume features the language associated with your profession. Use these words throughout as you describe your job background.
Clear, measurable successes. You have trophies to show for your work; they're called, for example: meeting 10 of 10 project goals on time and in budget; earning an industry award for the best product design; moving up the career ladder within five years of hire; or launching a service that brought in a certain percentage of profit. Be honest about your skills and work experience, but emphasize results.
A cover letter. It's a good idea to frame your resume by adding a cover letter. In it, you can expand on why you're a great fit for the position and show any research you've done on the company. Whether you mail or email a resume, include a cover letter as an introduction.

RESUME FAQS

Review this list before you write up your resume

Q.: What should go into a resume?

A.: Your resume serves as a guide to your personality, goals, skill sets, and experience. As such, your resume should include:

A short resume profile, which describes how your main qualifications match the job for which you are applying
A list of your accomplishments, using active verbs and emphasizing results
Volunteer work and affiliations with clubs and service organizations
Work history that includes relevant internships
Educational background
A statement on references

Q.: Does my resume have to be one page?

A.: It's best in most cases, but it's not the most important issue. Focus instead on making sure your resume reflects all of the important components (employment history and experience, skill sets, etc.).

Q.: Is it necessary that I have an objective?

A.: For years, this was considered a standard part of the resume. However, that's changing. You can convey the same information in a more targeted way by including a resume profile, that is, a statement matching your qualifications to the job.

Q: Do I need to have several different resumes to reflect different fields I might want to go into?

A.: Yes, create a generic resume that you customize for different jobs. The more you can customize your resume, the better. This will increase the likelihood your resume grabs attention.

100 GREAT RESUME WORDS

Use active voice and include words that pack a verbal punch

Engage your resume reader with vivid language that captures what you do and why you do it well. Here are some words to make your resume attention-grabbing and dynamic:

100 Great Resume Words
Assist Able Action Analysis Achievement Accomplished Advanced Conduct Consult Committed Conducted Contributed Coordinated Delegated Develop Deliver Design Defined Diversified Devoted Distinguished Encourage Earned Enhance Evaluate	Examined Facilitate Formulate Fulfilled Forecasted Generated Gained Gathered Gave Headed Hosted Identified Implemented Improved Improvised Influenced Launched Lobbied Maintained Managed Marketed Maximized Mediated Modernized Motivated	Negotiated Observed Obtained Operated Organized Originated Overhauled Oversaw Participated Performed Pioneered Planned Prepared Presented Promoted Provided Published Pursued Quantified Ranked Received Recommended Redesigned Reengineered Reorganized	Represented Restructured Revised Safeguarded Secured Selected Specified Spearheaded Standardized Strengthened Structured Suggested Superseded Supervised Targeted Taught Tested Trained Transcended Unified Upgraded Utilized Validated Valued Wrote

ANATOMY OF A GOOD COVER LETTER

Write a strong introduction to your resume

Every resume you send out should come with a cover letter, whether by mail or email. A cover offers an introduction to you and your qualifications and describes how the experience you describe in your resume will make a difference for your potential employer. In drafting a resume, follow this general structure.

Parts of a good cover letter

Meet and greet (first paragraph). Concisely explain how you found out about this job lead and explain that you would like to apply for the job. Note generally what you do to qualify you for consideration. Be sure to use language that signals you pay attention to details, conveys professionalism, and demonstrates your written communication skills.
Skills and experience profile (second and third paragraphs). Offer a short profile of your skills and expertise and highlight any accomplishments that would get this employer's attention.
Reason to Interview (fourth paragraph). Make clear why your particular abilities could make a difference for this company in this position. Show you've done your research into the company in this paragraph and thought how your capabilities are strong match for the job. In short, give this company a reason to call you up for an interview.
Promise to follow up (last paragraph). Close by thanking the company for reviewing your resume and promise to follow up with a short call to learn more about the position.

Cover letter guidelines

Keep it concise, usually one page.
Ask a reliable source to read and edit your cover letter before you send it.
Write multiple drafts, editing and revising as you go.
Use bullet points if you can, itemizing your skills or job experience.
Keep the formatting simple, using basic fonts.

Sample cover letter

1234 Hire Me Drive
Anytown, USA 12345

January 19, 2015

E. M. Ployment
Director of Recruiting
CompanyCo
567 E. Opportunity Way
Jobsville, USA 34567

Dear Mr. Ployment:

I am responding to the employment opportunity listed on your website. Please accept this letter and accompanying resume as evidence of my interest in applying for the (position title) at (company name).

I have the following experience (add experience here) which makes me uniquely qualified for this position.

I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and discuss how my skills would meet the needs of your company. Attached is my resume for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Your Name

ECONOMICS

Pages

HOW TO BUILD A RESUME