Robin & HeatherMake a list of your accomplishments from previous jobs or volunteer positions, by job title.
Just like traveling by yourself, the cost of living alone is usually more expensive for each individual than sharing a home. While living together one of the partners may have opted to not focus on their career and are now in a place where they need to make more money or get that career back into high gear. A well written resume can you get you in the door for that all important interview.
Make a list of your accomplishments from previous jobs or volunteer positions, by job title.
Employers will be interested in what you’ve done previously. If you were a manager, were you able to cut costs, increase efficiencies, or implement new programs with great results? All of these are indicators that you are a quality person, who doesn’t just come in to work, you get things done. As well as the accomplishments, include the impact, if possible, e.g.: Reduced the average call time for inbound customer service calls from 10 minutes to 8 minutes resulting in shorter wait times, and increased customer retention and employee retention.
Create a list for all measurable accomplishments from every position you’ve held. If you’ve done volunteer work that had an impact on the organization, or the organizations focus, include it e.g., Reduced the sense of judgment/offense aspect of budget recommendations for individuals seeking financial aid by creating an automated form for making recommendations for cutting costs in household budgets. This allowed the client and the volunteer to trouble shoot the result together. This greater buy-in resulted in increased adoption of the recommendations made.
Create a list of skills sets
This list should include both hard and soft skills. Hard skills can be taught and measured, such as MS Office Suite proficiency, 10-Key, Degrees, Certificates, Language Proficiency, Analysis, or Programming. Soft skills are people skills, such as leadership, problem solving, effective written and verbal communication, and building consensus. The hard skills prove you can do the job, the soft skills prove you can make a difference in the company.
Based on the skills and accomplishments above, review job postings and look for natural fits based on skills, industry, interest levels and salaries
You can browse for job posting sites online. Examples include:
You can begin by searching for jobs you have held previously. Expand the search to include positions that use your soft and hard skills, with an emphasis on what you like best and where you know you can make an impact.
…your resume should be easy to ready, with a simple lay out. Bullet points make it easy for hiring managers to scan your resume to make the quick decision to read more.
Check out the employers summary of their company. Often it supplies information about the culture, industry and their overall focus.
Start building you resume
You now have the building blocks in place. Your resume should be easy to ready, with a simple lay out. Bullet points make it easy for hiring managers to scan your resume to make the quick decision to read more. If they have to read through too much, they may not take the time to read it.
Create your resume to fit the job position requirements, or ideal candidate descriptions of the jobs you are interested in.
Organize the resume to have the most important information, or summary of who you are and top accomplishments at the top of the resume.
Add the list of your skills next.
Job history is last. List your jobs with the most current job first. Don’t supply more than 20 years history. If you have gaps in your employment, fill in with any volunteer work you’ve done. To minimize gaps that can be measured in months, use years for job duration, e.g., 2018 -2021. If you have gaps of more than a year, be sure to explain the gap briefly in your cover letter.
Don’t include your references at this time. Do add the statement “References available on request.”
The importance of a good cover letter
Hiring Managers can be inundated with applicants. Just as the resume’s purpose is to get an interview, the cover letter’s purpose is to get the hiring manager to read your resume. Your cover letter should highlight your biggest, job aligned accomplishments, which speak to your proven ability to do the job successfully.
Understand the job and the company. In addition, to sharing your alignment with the specific job, be sure to share your fit with the company’s goals, and industry.
Get feedback from a trusted friend, former manager or colleague
Effective writing is in the editing. Writers can often get in their own head and assume that what they have written is easy to understand. Having a few people read, ask questions, or make suggestions is extremely helpful. If you have time, set the first draft aside for three to four days, then read/edit it again. This allows you to tighten up the writing, creating a better overall resume.
Summary
A solid resume of accomplishments and work experience, tailored to fit the job description and company may you that interview. Let your well written resume position you for a job that you are good at, and one that you will enjoy. Good luck!
