New Year, New Resume – 5 Must Do’s

by on Jan 8, 2011 in Resume Writing, Resume Writing Advice

If you are like most people, you have probably been putting off revising your resume during the holiday season.

Now that the New Year is upon us, it is time to consider the key elements that will make your new 2011 resume more effective and lead you down a fresh career path.

  1. Make sure your resume has a headline that lets the reader know immediately what you are all about.  It should be a bold announcement of your core strength.
  2. Be certain to include a compelling summary statement that is well written and gets hiring managers interested so they will be compelled to read further.
  3. In describing each position you have held, use bullets judiciously. Too many bullets can result in some of your best accomplishments being overlooked.
  4. When listing your achievements, use the SAR method. SAR stands for Situation – what occurred, Action – what you did, and Result – how this impacted the company.
  5. Don’t forget to list any awards you may have received. If the award has an odd name like ‘Golden Leaf’, for example, you may want to elaborate to provide clarity.  In this case, you might want to say: Golden Leaf Award – Top Professional Services Manager, 2009.

Writing an effective resume can be tricky. If you are not the best writer, consider hiring a professional to do the job. Regardless of whether you chose to do it yourself or use a CPRW (certified professional resume writer), proofread your resume for spelling, grammar and typos.

Pay special attention to your contact information. All phone numbers and email addresses should be 100% accurate.  Ask friends and colleagues to review your resume. Often we do not see mistakes that others will catch.  It is good to have as many sets of eyes as possible before sending your resume out.

Debra Wheatman

CPRW, CPCC and President of Careers Done Write, a premier career services provider focused on developing highly personalized career road maps for senior leaders and executives across all verticals and industries. Visit careersdonewrite.com to learn more.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

Comments are closed.