Writing about ourselves is never easy, especially when we know our prospective employers will be the ones reading what we wrote. So what can we write that will get us a step ahead of the competition?
Many employers look for result oriented qualifications. Describe what you did to help increase productivity, efficiency, or profit margin. Merely listing job duties as opposed to writing how your performance contributed to the company’s bottom line is a major no-no. Instead of writing that you answered phone calls, write that you assisted in a marketing campaign that increased business by 20 percent. Quantifying your accomplishments gives your resume a competitive edge.
Avoid mentioning fast food joints. The best resumes get straight to the point, and mentioning that you managed 10 people at a Pizza Hut is a turn off to employers. Get to the point: focus on the managerial experience and drop the rest. Non-related information, such as fast food experience, is unnecessary and takes up space. Experts say employers take five to ten seconds glancing at a resume for the first time. Write things that’ll grab the employer’s attention from the get go and avoid filler.
When it comes to style, there is a debate over whether a resume should be one page or two. Anabelle Louie, an executive at One Step Resume Service in San Francisco says that if you’re turning in a resume online, stick to one page. If you’re handing it in personally, taking up two pages is not a bad thing. If it takes two pages to write all your accomplishments, take two pages. However, most experts agree on other resume writing tips. Don’t use strange fonts (especially if they’re hard to read), leave plenty of white space at the top, and use a bulleted format. Using words and phrases specific to the field in which you are applying is a plus, but avoid spelling errors at all costs.