5 of 32

Write now Article Tools

A FOOL PROOF GUIDE TO RESUME WRITING

Resume writing need not be a challenging or harrowing experience. Fundamentally, a resume is a marketing tool and should sell the benefits of you to the employer. You don't have to write hundreds of resumes to know what works. After all, we are all customers! But what you do need to know is what key information needs to be there and how you can capture the attention of your customer - the employer! A short, sharp and snappy resume, presented using design and layout techniques, printed on good quality paper, can be your ticket to a great job.

Here is my foolproof guide to resume writing from a marketing perspective:

TIP 1: REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE THE PRODUCT

If you are the product, then you need first to work out what your features and benefits are going to be for the employer. If you just list the features, you may miss the opportunity to connect with your customer, the employer. If the employer is looking for someone with straight teeth, then your first benefit if you have straight teeth is, Not only have I got straight teeth but my winning smile will brighten your day!" Look at the position you are applying for, find the key words (eg straight teeth), then look at yourself and see if you have that benefit in your plethora of skills, abilities, experience and knowledge. If so, write a statement that reflects that. It may be something as simple as "typing speed 100wpm" and you have this so you write it, "With a typing speed of 100wpm and 99% accuracy, employers have found my work to be easy to sign off on." The feature is the typing speed, the benefit is how easy you have made previous employers work.

TIP 2: CUSTOMERS WANT TO KNOW WHERE TO GET THE PRODUCT

You need to include contact information so that an employer can get in touch with you. Your name, address, phone contact, email contact and best times to catch you are all vital information if you want to make the sale, so double check these to make sure they are accurate and included.

TIP 3: CAREER OBJECTIVE

The jury may be out on whether or not a career objective is essential, but I think this is one place in the whole resume where you can really do some creative advertising and sell the employer on the benefits. For example, if your career objective is to be a motivational trainer and you are applying for a training position, a career objective that states, "My passion is for working with people from all backgrounds and lifestyles. I love to motivate them, to teach them new things

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Fundamentals of a good resume?
We want to hear your view. Write now!