Resume

Quick reference

• 00:05 We begin our look at personal business writing with a topic that
• 00:09 concerns everyone in the professional environment,
• 00:12 the resume, which is your history organized for business use.
• 00:18 Getting your resume right is essential for
• 00:20 a productive job search and potential career advancement.
• 00:24 In one page your best qualities can
• 00:26 reach many key decision makers at various levels.
• 00:30 Resume uses begin with communications with a company.
• 00:35 It can land in the HR department, human resources or
• 00:38 a team leader will see your resume when you answer an ad.
• 00:41 Your resume can serve as basic correspondence about you and
• 00:46 become the first level tool for moving you forward or eliminating you as a candidate.
• 00:52 A first impression or an introduction is going to be made with your resume.
• 00:58 The hiring manager for
• 00:59 the job you want, will need this document before meeting you.
• 01:04 Your resume also serves as shorthand for interoffice correspondence.
• 01:08 When departments, or
• 01:09 team members, have a hand in the decision making process for new hires.
• 01:13 The power of a resume resides in its ability to
• 01:18 create a competitive advantage for you.
• 01:21 It's the piece you leave behind as a final decision maker when you and
• 01:25 another candidate are equally qualified.
• 01:29 There are many approaches and an entire industry of
• 01:33 professionals who can help you fine tune your resume, but you can write a great one
• 01:37 on your own using some insider business writing tips and free online templates.
• 01:43 Check out Google Docs for resume samples, CVmaker and Microsoft Office online.
• 01:49 They have hundreds of templates there to choose from.
• 01:53 And don't assume you have to be fancy.
• 01:55 A simple design is usually best for uploading and for reading.
• 01:59 Shown here is
• 02:00 a traditional resume template from the Microsoft Office website.
• 02:04 It's clear and easy to navigate.
• 02:07 Structure will vary according to the candidate and the position.
• 02:11 Look around at samples in your own field for ideas.
• 02:15 Education, work history, skills, or
• 02:18 achievements that could be a key focus for an employer in certain industries.
• 02:23 So use what you know about the industry you work in to help you decide.
• 02:29 This resume highlights work experience and history.
• 02:33 You should always include your most important duties or
• 02:36 accomplishments and the difference you made in each role.
• 02:41 Begin your resume with an objective.
• 02:44 This is a way to describe in one sentence your ideal position.
• 02:48 We show here a very basic objective of a new college graduate, level and
• 02:53 type of position at what kind of company.
• 02:56 It would be better to customize the objective per the position or
• 03:00 the company if you can.
• 03:02 Be more specific than medium sized.
• 03:04 Industry specific for example.
• 03:06 Another tip is, add what you can contribute.
• 03:09 Such as, I bring presentation skills, advanced accounting skills, etc.
• 03:16 Use high level actions and results to describe your experience.
• 03:20 Examples might be, increased sales, tripled revenues, expanded a team.
• 03:25 Show what you did.
• 03:28 Specific to the position or industry, write your resume to show your own
• 03:32 growth in your field, and/or your potential contribution to this job.
• 03:40 For a short work history, a recent grad, or
• 03:42 a career change, a more functional resume can be chosen.
• 03:47 This kind of focuses on things that you have done, or
• 03:50 can do, instead of the specific employment history details.
• 03:56 This is a resume for a new college grad, highlighting education and achievements.
• 04:03 It uses the same business focus when writing points under each section, though.
• 04:08 You still want to write about your actions and results.
• 04:14 Skills and abilities.
• 04:15 It's a strong header option in lieu of a long work history.
• 04:20 Experience, as shown here,
• 04:22 is still a must, even if it is not direct employment experience included.
• 04:27 Awards, Those are a maybe.
• 04:29 You can include them.
• 04:30 Interests though, that's unnecessary on a resume.
• 04:34 And finally, get a proofreader.
• 04:37 Errors are a leading cause of being passed by for an interview.
• 04:42 Overall, there are many approaches to creating an attention-getting and
• 04:46 effective resume.
• 04:48 Finding the balance between being straightforward, concise, and
• 04:52 then thorough at the same time, plus engaging and
• 04:57 progressive, is a key for getting your foot in the door.
• 05:02 So check out some samples from others in your industry, and look for tips online
• 05:08 to help you write the resume that will get you started on the career of your dreams.

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