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Writing a resume after you've been fired can cause a person a considerable amount of anxiety, but this doesn't have to be the case. As with all resumes, the main goal is to get you an interview; a resume is usually your one chance to make enough of an impression for a hiring manager to want to talk further with you.

Where many people err is by indicating on their resume that they have been fired from a position at some point in their career. Even if you've been fired from your most recent job, never put that information on your resume. That should not be brought up until you've already gotten the interview; it is usually required on the company's employment application, but even then there are two routes you can go. I'll discuss those at the end of this article; first let's review the standard resume format:

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 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. Again, never

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