by Bruno Somerset

Created on: September 04, 2008

When writing a resume for a business job, the most important thing to remember is that the only purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. A resume is nothing more than a marketing tool; a great resume by itself will not land you the job, but a poorly done resume can keep you from even having a chance at it. A resume is your one chance to make enough of an impression for a hiring manager to want to talk further with you.

Resumes tend to follow a standard format, especially with regard to what information is included, and the following items are essential:

1. Contact Information. I have frankly been amazed at the number of people over the years that have sent in resumes with incorrect or missing contact information. Sometime it's simply a case of not updating an address after a move, but the result is the same; no matter how good you look on paper, it doesn't matter if the hiring manager or Human Resources representative has no way to contact you.

Always include your name, current home address, e-mail address, and at least two contact phone numbers, preferably home and cell. If you include your e-mail address, be sure to check it daily. If your resume is longer than one page (and later in this article we'll discuss why it never should be), put your name and phone number in the top right corner of the second page in case the pages get separated.

2. Objective Statement. An objective describes the type of work or specific position you are seeking; it should also tell the prospective employer what you are offering them. Avoid general phrases such as "challenging and rewarding career" and "potential for growth" which don't tell the reader anything anyway.

3. Experience: Your prior work experience is the most important section of your resume. List your current or most recent company first, along with dates of service (the month and year are usually sufficient), and then list all previous employers or positions in reverse chronological order. There is no need to go back more than ten years with one major exception: if you had military service, it should always be listed on the resume, no matter how long ago it was. Simply having prior military service tells employers a great deal about you, and it gives you an edge with hiring managers who were in the military themselves.

Under each position held, describe your responsibilities using short statements that demonstrate success, practical experience related to your field, and the fact that you have good work habits. Bullet

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