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Resume Workshop
There are many styles and formats for generating a resume. Before we do anything lets take a minute to clarify the resume purpose. Resumes get you interviews/appointments, not jobs. Your resume is like a brief commercial, it should create a desire on the part of the employer to schedule an interview.
With that in mind, we can proceed to develop the best resume. Style and format are important in that they present your information in a concise, positive and effective manner. Keep in mind the interviewer is apt to be handling a large number of resumes as well as appointments. Therefore presentation must be of the utmost importance!
The person viewing the resumes and making the appointment decision will appreciate a clean, to the point, accurate, current, and informative resume. Your one piece resume if done properly will blow those multi-paged, cover-lettered, bound fancier styles out of the water. Cover letters are normally stapled to the back. Binding/folders are usually removed or bent to reveal the actual resume. So provide what works best, one simple complete well thought out single page professional introduction.
An outline that works, keeps all like information together. Use your name, address, contact information as a header. This makes you easy to contact. Employment history should at least cover seven years. Time spans of more than six months should be explained. Information to provide; company name, positions, employment dates, income, brief description of duties, and why you left the position.
Like employment history educational background should be together. Start with high school and forward. List achievements, and grade point average. Add a brief summary of experience and career goals.
I have found white, cream, light gray, and light blue the best paper colors and the text should always be basic black text. Script looks nice but is not considered professional. If they have to strain to read, your resume may just be placed aside.
The more copies of your resume you have out there the more interview opportunities you will have. You will probably send "blind resumes" as well as "targeted". A blind resume is sent for consideration of any position. Meaning the company will match position criteria with that shown on your resume. A targeted resume is sent in answer to a specified position. Always make sure your qualifications are geared toward the position. I know people who use up to five different resumes depending on the position. You would want a different approach for sales management than you would for bank management.
Always send your resume in the first suggested manner. If you apply via the internet especially. So if Email is the first option given, use it when ever possible. Always send an original, never forward a resume. If you are faxing, always use a white background. Now the resumes are out there....
By all means keep a list of where you leave resumes. Do a follow-up call to confirm your resume was received with-in two days. If by postal mail make it a week. More will be covered in Marketing Yourself about the next stages. But don't hesitate to keep sending and confirming more resumes.
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