A Quick Guide for your First Step Resume Writing

Why You Need a Great Resume

Your resume communicates your qualifications and your brand—who you are and what makes you different—to employers and recruiters. In a tough job market, you need a resume that helps you stand out in a sea of applicants.

A great resume:

• Grabs the attention of employers and recruiters
• Sells your strongest skills and accomplishments
• Shows why you’re a potential match for a position or project
• Communicates both your current capabilities and future potential
• Helps you take the next step in your career
• And most importantly, gets you the interview!

Before you get started, it's important to know that resume writing has changed considerably in recent years. Because of fierce competition for jobs and other factors, there's now a much stronger emphasis on marketing.

Writing Your Resume

Once you've completed your research and settled on a job target, it's time to put your resume together. Since your resume is organized in sections, we start by explaining what these sections are and why they're important.

• Understand the basic elements. A resume consists of several sections, each of which delivers essential information to your readers.
• Select the right resume format. Depending on your background or goals, you'll want to emphasize some things and de-emphasize others.
• Write a first draft. Assemble the basic sections of your resume, highlighting your skills, accomplishments, and other aspects of your brand.
• Edit and proofread. Your first draft should be just that—a first draft. Take the time to edit so it's complete and clear. Then proofread carefully!
• Design for easy reading.  You don't need anything elaborate. But you do need a resume that's attractive and easy to scan for information.

Top Resume Strategies

It’s easy to create a resume that looks like everyone else’s. But to win that interview, you need to go further. Here are four strategies that take you beyond the standard, cookie-cutter resume and get you noticed.

• Sell yourself and your brand. Make it easy for employers to pick you. Communicate who you are, what you offer, and what makes you different from other applicants.
• Identify your transferable skills. Your transferable skills are a major selling point that sets you apart from other job seekers. Make sure you know yours.
• Highlight your accomplishments. Anyone can list duties and responsibilities, but accomplishments give you credibility. They also help your resume come alive.
• Use keywords effectively. The specific words you use in your resume are critical for communicating your value, both electronically and in print. 

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