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[R278]Resume Writing Cover Letter

by Heather Eagar, Hea

Let's start with the resume format most loved by human resources: the combination format. It's basically the format that you see the most and is very effective when it's used in the right situation.

What is the right situation? Basically if you have the ?perfect? job history ? no gaps, not a ton of job-hopping ? then this will work for you. After your contact information, the executive summary is at the top, followed by some career highlights, then your jobs and positions (along with achievements and responsibilities), followed by awards, professional affiliations and education.

So you're not perfect?

But what if you have some ?career baggage?? Maybe you took some time off for family reasons or you've been the product of several layoffs. You need to create your resume in the format that doesn't highlight these so-called black marks. Instead, you want to draw the reader's attention to all your achievements and proof that you deserve an interview.

Although it is not favored by human resource professionals, the functional format can be used effectively. With this format, you list your strengths and achievements toward the beginning of your resume under subheadings. These subheadings could be Management, Organizational Skills and Leadership. Anything that is essential in your profession and can show why you're at the top of your game. Your jobs are then listed at the end with your other information. That way the thing that employers see first is not that you haven't worked in five years or that you've had five jobs in the last four years. Make them see the positives first.

Laying it all out

No matter what format you choose, you do not want to go past two pages. I suppose there are always exceptions but even Executives can oftentimes get by with a single page resume. Also keep in mind that if you do go to two pages, make sure that second page is not scarce. You want to fill the page as much as possible. A good rule of thumb is three quarters of the page should be used. You might have to adjust your margins and spacing a bit.

Speaking of spacing, white space overall is important for your resume. You don't want all the text to be crammed together, making it difficult to read. At the same time, you don't want it to be too ?airy? and have it look like you're just trying to fill the space. You need a happy medium of both to make an attractive looking resume that employers will want to read.

You're doing well. You're well on your way to creating your resume. Just a few more steps until you can really appreciate all that you've done. Next time you'll discover how to make those achievements of yours really stand out.

Think again.

I am willing to say virtually everyone can think of at least one achievement per position they've held. Not you? Don't be so quick to judge. You just have to know where to look and how to dig deep to find the information.

The right place to look

If you've been at a particular position for more than a year, most likely you have had a performance review. What good does that do? It reviews the year for you. It's difficult to remember what you did and what you accomplished and the written review is a great way to bring it all back.

Another way is to take a close look at your department. Does it run more efficiently since you've been employed there? Did you develop a key to improve intra-office communication? Are backorders reduced by 80% because of a process you created?

Note to self: To make this process easier for future jobs, keep a journal of your activities and achievements so that it can be referred to at any time.

What if you were never there…

Just sit back and close your eyes and run through a typical day at work. How has it changed since you started? Has it gotten better? Of course! You made it better. Think about who you come in contact with and how you impact their productiveness and efficiency. You'll be surprised by how much impact you have on your co-workers – and even your bosses.

When you start to even think about job hunting, be aware of the day-to-day tasks that occur. Some seem minute; others not so much. How do you contribute to the meetings you're involved with on a weekly or monthly basis? All these ‘little' responsibilities and achievements can add up to something great.

Remember - think highly of yourself

Whatever you do, do not ever say, “I don't/didn't make a difference,” in the process of writing your resume. Nonsense. With that mentality, your resume isn't going to include anything noteworthy for employers. If you don't think you amount to anything, why in the world would someone want to hire you? Have confidence in yourself and it'll shine through to your resume.

As you're brainstorming, write down everything you can think of that might be useful on your resume. Then the information will be at your fingertips as you proceed to the next step in creating your resume - deciding the best format for you.

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Heather Eagar has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cover Letter, Interview Questions and Careers and Job Hunting. A leading expert in the employment search industry, Heather Eagar provides working professionals with current, reliable and effective job search tools and information. If you are considering hiring a professional resume writing service, check out reviews. Heather Eagar's top article generates over 165000 views. to your Favourites.