I'm a big advocate of using bullets effectively in a resume. This does not mean that the entire document should use bullets to stress the important facts that you want to highlight. If you use bullets everywhere, then nothing will stand out to the reader. That's why it's important to only highlight the information that will be most likely to get you an interview.
A popular way to mix bullets and paragraphs is by writing a brief paragraph about your responsibilities before adding your achievements as bullets below. In most cases, you want to have more bullets for your recent positions. The further back you go, the less important those achievements are to the employer. Sometimes that is unfortunate since those accomplishments might relate more to what you are currently seeking in a position. If that's the case, highlight the most important ones so that they don't get lost in a see of bullets.
Numbers can be your best friend
Using qualifying factors in your achievements can truly make the difference of getting the interview or being passed over. Why are they so important? There are a couple of different reasons.
1. Illustrates how big the achievement was in the overall picture and the significant impact it had on the company.
If you simply state that you increased inventory turn and reduced backorders, that doesn't really say a whole lot. A lot of people could say that and have it be true.
However, see what happens if you state it this way: “Saved $7 million with a 50% increase in inventory turn and a 75% backorder reduction.” That is something that will impress an employer.
2. Shows how well you meet and exceed company and personal goals.
Every company wants an employee who at least meets the objectives set by the company. Whether it be for the company as a whole, your department or your personal objectives, they all are important to an employer.
So as you're sifting through your accomplishments, don't forget to include this important aspect. If you are an accountant and had a goal of saving the company $1 million by discovering more tax exemptions, but you actually saved $1.5 million, be sure to say that. By stating the fact that you exceeded your goal by 50% is huge in the eyes of an employer.
Your achievements and how you showcase them are vital in getting interviews. Don't shortchange yourself or you'll be pretty shortchanged in the interview area.
Many job seekers skip the next step which can be detrimental to their job search. Next time you'll discover how important it is to have a second, third (or more!) pair of eyes look over your resume.
Career Change Resume Writing
How do you keep yourself from making the same mistake when it comes to your resume? Here are a couple of necessities when it comes to having your resume stand up to the scrutiny of Hiring Managers.
1. Give your eyes a break. Do you notice that when you're finding a task particularly difficult that if you take a break for a few hours ? or even overnight ? you can tackle it with a freshness and vigor that you had lost? You need to recharge before you require yourself to inspect a document that you've been working on for hours. The words all start to run together and nothing even makes sense to you. The passion for which you originally wrote with is lost on you due to mental fatigue. You need to take a step back, refresh your eyes and mind, then go back and take another look.
2. Have a friend (or family member) take a look. Having another person read your resume can be extremely helpful when it comes to having a fresh perspective. You are so close to your resume that you tend to not be very objective when it's all said and done. It's beneficial to have someone completely new look over it. Why? What important information can you gleam from this exercise?
?What's their first impression? Professional? Amateur? Sloppy?
?Do they know what kind of job you are applying for and how you are qualified?
?Are they impressed with your achievements?
?Is there too little information? Too much?
Be sure that the person or people you choose can give you an honest opinion. You don't want to depend on someone who is afraid to hurt your feelings or thinks that everything you do is great. It is best to choose someone with business acumen as well. It's not necessary that they be efficient in human resources and the like, but the more they're involved with the business world, the better.
3. Have a professional review it. There are many resume writing services who offer a free review of your resume. They can provide some great tips that you might never have thought of to improve your overall success at getting interviews. However, you want to choose one that is personalized and not just a checklist. Not that you won't get anything out of a checklist but you'll get a lot more out of a more thorough review.
Resume writing is an exhausting task so you need to be sure not to jump the gun and send out your resume package immediately after you complete it. It'll pay to take one ? if not all ? the tips above to heart before you apply if you decide to write your own resume.
Now that you're all set to send out your resume, we need to review some tips on how to do that effectively. But?that's for next time.