Tips for Creating Resumes That Provide a Competitive Edge
05. Apr, 2009 
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Think of your resume as your brochure. Your resume is your first introduction to a potential employer. Employers and recruiters receive hundreds of resumes each day and often scan your resume very quickly and make an initial assessment. The purpose of your resume is to catch their attention and entice them to meet you in meet you in person. Your resume is the “marketing tool” that should help position you confidently, honestly and persuasively.
You will achieve this by writing a resume that convinces the reader that you have the best skills and experience to be successful at a specific position and WINS you the interview.
Think of your resume as one major element in your marketing kit.
- Think of yourself as the product, prospective employers as customers, and your resume as your brochure.
- Focus on the features and benefits of the product (You!) in your resume. What makes you unique and why should the customer (prospective employer) buy the product ..You!.
Be clear about your job search objective before writing your resume.
- Once you have determined your objective, then write your resume around that objective.
- If you write your resume without a clear objective in mind, it will appear unfocused.
Match the customer’s needs to what you are selling.
- Review job descriptions online for positions you are interested in. You can find many job descriptions on sites like Docstoc, Scribd, Linkedin and Online Job Boards.
- Use the keywords listed in the job descriptions throughout your resume.
Use your resume to get an interview, not a job.
- Be clear and concise; you do not need to highlight every detail about every accomplishment and job responsibility.
- Use the interview to convey a more detailed explanation of your accomplishments and to convince the prospective employer that you are the candidate for the job.
Write accomplishment statements in bulleted format to highlight your strengths.
- Use bullets with short sentences; avoid job duties and responsibilities; make your bullets brief and results oriented.
- Start each bullet with an action verb and be sure to include an accomplishment statement, which supports your job search objective.
Make your resume visually appealing.
- Use a font that is easy to read and use quality resume paper.
- Leave adequate white space in the margins for the prospective employer to take notes.
- Use one of ResumeBear’s free online templates to ensure your resume is formatted perfectly everytime.
Proofread your resume several times before sending it out. If possible, have someone else proofread it for you as well.
- Accuracy is key in resume writing.
- Spellcheck every word, ensure accurate grammar and punctuation.
I think in a type where people need all the help they can get when finding a job that this is the perfect article to help everyone out!
thanks!
In my resume, should I put ALL my skills and accomplishments or just those related to a specific job (ex: If I am applying for a photography position should I write about my computer internships)?
I wish I had had the opportunity to read this blog a number of years ago when I was actively job seeking. Your points are clear and down to earth. I especially liked the point about using the resume as a tool to sell yourself and make yourself appealing to the reader. Thank you for sharing your insights. In these economic time, job seekers can use this help.
thanks for the really helpful tips. I would definitely try to take care of these while updating my resume.
The tips are really good, one who is looking to prepare a good resume must look into this blog it would surely help their resume to be shortlisted for the job.
This write up is informative and helpful. Your tips on how and what should be included in a resume are clear and to the point. Job seekers will surely benefit a lot from these useful tips, as the economy is going through a lean phase presently. Thanks for these helpful tips.
I often have a hard time ‘bloating’ about myself in social situations. My resume becomes the place that I feel comfortable and expected to brag! These tips help me complete this task more naturally, and professionally.
Just to let you know that I am having a fantastic response after making use of your tips and suggestions. After replacing the old resume I did indeed get many more reactions. The first comment I had in my job interview was that I had a very impressive resume. Thanks for this useful article.
I’m glad we could help. More great features at resumebear.com are launching soon. Let us know if we can help you in the future with your job search.
Though I got a great site(resumebear.com) to create my smart Resumes,I didn’t know the unique tips to create a impressive Resume.
I wish to read this Blog for a long time to learn these tips.Thanks!
I especially liked the point about using the resume as a tool. Its mind blowing one. thanks for giving such a wonderful website.
Hi friends,
I was really enjoying making my resume. I learned things which can i write in my resume which hopefully will help me to find the best job I can. Thanks
Thanks for mentioning Docstoc!!
Jason Nazar
CEO
Docstoc
i would be highly happy if you someone can can write a standard resume for me. i would be looking forward to receiving it via my email afbaslasu@yahoo.com. thanks
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Helpful tips for the unemployed and desperately looking! Also found this one helpful: http://vjournal.com/compare-my-resume