The 5 Step Killer Resume Process

There are very specific elements to a resume that an employer will expect to see. Bear this in mind when you start to read about impressive ways to get their attention.

Forget about the fancy paper, colored headings and decorations. It is a much better investment of your time to assemble the data that they will be looking for, and to present it in a succinct, businesslike manner. Once you have got the 'bones' of your resume together, you are then able to 'flesh it out' with relevant detail and inclusion of the industry-related keywords they will be looking for.

1. Take an inventory of yourself

Divide your life into categories. How much information you will include from each category will depend on the position and company you are applying to. Group information under these headings:

• Educational/Academic History, Awards, Degrees etc
• Vacation employment: only relevant if you have little or no work history
• Apprenticeships/Internships/Traineeships
• Volunteer Work
• Extra-curricular activities: Sport, Hobbies etc.  

2. Analyze each category

Note your accomplishments and experienced gained from each of the categories listed above. Be aware of any skills that you developed, and underline any that have specific application to the career field you are considering.

3. Gather results-oriented keywords

Use direct language to demonstrate how you have used your skills and experience to affect positive outcomes. Use action verbs and target achievements.

4. Identify what to emphasize

You should now have a fairly big document, with a lot of information about yourself. But not all of this information is relevant, and by including it all, you will soon lose your reader. It is imperative that while you will not omit any of the top-line information, dates etc, you will only expand on the areas that are relevant to the position advertised. Use a highlighter to help identify key points.

5. Pull it all together

Having devoted some quality time in preparing your 'inventory' it should be a simple task to now extract the information required to put under each heading listed in (1). You will have the detail needed to give an employer a good picture of yourself.

Laying out your resume to create a readable document is important, and if this seems a difficult task, don't hesitate to enlist the support of an expert. A great resource that has proven very effective at getting its users to interview, is Jimmy Sweeney's "Amazing Resume Creator".