by Hayley Solich

Created on: August 03, 2007   Last Updated: November 07, 2011

Have you ever been in the position where you are sitting opposite a pile of 200 applications, all for the same position? What's more, have you had to wade through hundreds of resumes that are full of typos, poor grammar, unclear layout and obvious ambiguity or overstatement of achievement? Well, I have. In my many years as an Employment Consultant, I have read more resumes than I care to remember and I can tell you there are some simple rules to follow that make a resume rise from the bottom of the pile to the top.

Rule 1: Keep it simple

A stand out resume paints a clear picture of the person that is applying for the position. It uses simple, concise language and observes the rules of document presentation, using headings, tabbing, bold and paragraphing to effect. It avoids clutter, poor grammar, outlandish claims and extraneous jargon and acronyms. It includes key words that are triggers for the employer that this is a candidate worth interviewing.

Rule 2: Includes pertinent details.

These details include such items as your name and contact details including address and best contact phone numbers; your summary of attributes, achievements, work history and education; and your referees. A work history in brief should outline your chronological work history and have one or two work examples of positions directly relevant to the position you are applying for in more detail. These should demonstrate your skills, ability and experience that ensure you eligibility for the position.

Rule 3: Quantifiable and qualitative data

It is important to put the "meat" on the "bones" concerning describing the tasks that you have carried out. For example, anyone can restock a fridge, but how many can restock a fridge in accordance with the safe lifting procedures and are able to stock 80 cans in 15 minutes? The bones are "Can restock a fridge." The meat is "Can restock a fridge applying safe lifting principles and stock 80 cans in 15 minutes without injury." The second example creates beliefs in the employer: Belief 1 this is an applicant who does things properly and in a safe manner, therefore they are less likely to be a liability to the business; Belief 2 this is an applicant who performs to a standard and is likely to put in a good days work.

It is very important that you are able to qualify your claims made in a resume. If you say that you are the hottest manager ever, then you need to back up this statement with the evidence that led you to this belief. A list of your achievements

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>