Even with the best training one thing that is commonly missed is the importance of your resume. So you might ask yourself “Why is a resume that important?” For starters your resume is a direct reflection of what you have accomplished. It tells a story to an employer so they can make an educated decision on if they would like to hire you or not. Resumes don’t lie so it is very important that you keep track of all of your past positions and the tasks that you performed
How to write a winning resume:
To start get a piece of paper and write down all of the jobs that you have had in your professional career (after high school or college). Next be sure the dates and your titles are correct. Now start putting down all of your responsibilities you had in your position. Were you in management? If so how many people did you manage. Did you save the company money? If so then how, and how much? You see when it come to writing an effective resume you need to be extremely precise in what you were responsible for and what you did in the company. Remember, the employer that is reading your resume should feel impressed with your accomplishments and want to hire you.
Once you have all of your tasks down put them in order of importance within each job. Start with your current or most recent position and go back as far as you think is relevant. Be sure to add in your education, past awards or major accomplishments. If you have worked for 20 years it might be worth showing what you have done over the past 10 years. It is not necessary to show every job but if you do show “gaps” within jobs be prepared to explain what you were doing during those periods.
Feel free to use bullet points to drive home something you feel is important. The single most important thing about your resume is that you make your resume error free. When you proof your resume be sure to not only proof it several times but have someone else read it to make sure nothing was missed.
Interview Tips
Now that you have a great resume it is time to send it out to prospective companies. If you get an interview you need to prepare prior to going in. The first thing you need to do is find out as much as you can about the company you are going to interview with. Check their website for information. Understand exactly what they are looking for in the position.
During the Interview
Before going to the interview be sure that you are properly dressed for the interview. Wear a suit if you are male, females can also were a suit or professional dress. Be well groomed. The person conducting the interview will start asking questions pertaining to the position. When they ask about your previous work experience don’t just state exactly what was on your resume, be creative. Remember they already called you in because they liked what they saw on your resume, tell them more. Be proud what you accomplished in the past, don’t brag. If the person conducting the interview is done feel free to ask them questions. Remember this is going to be your new career and you need to know more about the position you are entering into.
After the Interview
So you think you’re done now that you completed the interview? Well your work has just begun. Now that you’re done with the first interview you need to follow up with the company by mail, e-mail or call. First thanking them for the interview and secondly asking them how they would like to move forward. |
