How To Write My Resume

I love software and think there are many great tools out there, but I think you will find that by following some simple steps you can create and write your own resume a lot faster than buying software.  Your going to have to customize it anyways and it will look like a template by the employer or recruiter.  Remember they see thousands of resumes every year and have seen  many of the templates you might use.  I guarantee you that others have used the same type of software and it is a lazy way to go which will reflect on your character and work ethic.  Just take a couple of hours and do it yourself.  I have some great tips for you on the next page that are free and will get you started in the right direction.  – RJ

First of all,  good for you for applying for a job.  Let’s just start with the basics.  Go ahead and get some of your information down on paper and then you can fine tune it after you are done. 

Well, there are Seven components that are important to have on your Resume. 

1) The first component is your name which you will put on the top left corner or centered in the middle of your page.  Try  using size 18 Times Roman Font and format it as Bold.

2) Number two is your address. This would be your physical home or PO Box address.

3) Number three is your contact information, which is your phone number and then your email address.  Make sure your email works by sending yourself a test note also check your phone message on your phone and make sure that it is professional.  If you don’t have and email address go to yahoo or google and get one, it’s free.  If you can, get one with your name in it, for example TimSmith@yahoo.com and do not get one called BigHunk@yahoo or Hotpants@google this will not go over well for 99% of the jobs.  The 1% is for those other jobs that pay $5 an hour. 

4) Number four is your skill sets.  These are things you are naturally good at or have learned over time. 

5)  Number five is your objective.  This is the title of the job you are applying for. 

6) Number six will be your work experience (Education would go here if this is your first job)

7) Number seven being your education.  (Work experience would go here for first timers). 

Now if you want to have your skill sets and your objective switched you can do that and if you are new to the job market as a graduate from high school or college than you are going to want your to have your education listed first then your work experience.   If you are a seasoned professional then your work experience goes first then your education goes to the bottom of the page. 

Do not include your social security numbers or MySpace, Facebook, or twitter addresses unless it relates to the job your applying for which in most cases it will not.  You will learn a lot more about how to write a resume on the next page.

This is a great question and is asked a lot. Here is what I recommend for you. If you are new to the job market try to keep your resume to one page. This should be pretty easy because you’re going to have the seven important components of a resume only (explained in Tip 1). Now if you are a seasoned professional then you are going to want to do your very best to keep it to one page maybe two but make sure it is relevant to the position you are applying for. Your resume will be scanned over very quickly so if possible make sure your most important information is on the first page. Now this said, I once had a resume that was a packet by the time everything was done. It was for a teaching position and it had my teaching philosophy, teaching examples, family background, photos, etc. This would not be typical. One page is great, two or three pages in absolutely necessary and always attach your cover letter.

Today we are going to answer the question: What do I say during the Interview?

1) First thing is to be prepared for the question they ask you about yourself.  Find things you want to share about yourself that show off your strengths and perhaps some highlights. Say for example, “Well Joan, thank you for asking. Last year I had to opportunity to travel to Washington DC and meet our East Coast Team of the company I worked for. Not only did I enjoy meeting folks I speak with on the phone but also I was privileged to learn some wonderful things about them and I learned how their team differs from ours. I learned they hold morning meeting that help build unity and focus reinforcing their objective, which gives them great motivation for the day. I was able to implement this practice in our west coast branch and it was a huge success. As a result, a 15% increase in productivity was achieved within our branch. I also learned a lot about the DC area having signed up for several day’s of informational tours giving me much more appreciation for our nation and all that goes on behind the political scene.”

2) Second thing I want you to do is to read your resume and be prepared to answer questions that someone might have regarding your work history.

3) Third thing I would suggest you consider is to have ten questions about the company you are applying for ready for the end of the interview when they ask you if you have any questions for them. Put your three most important questions at the top and do not ask what you are going to get paid and when you are able to take your vacation. If they are interested in you, they will tell you what the compensation usually by the second interview