Everyone needs a resume, whether they are just graduating from school or they’ve been in the workforce for 30 years. Unfortunately, most people don’t think about their resume until they are embarking on a job search, which makes the process of creating one even more overwhelming. The key to creating a resume is to simply do the work. If you need a resume, sit down and get to work using these strategies.
“Don’t forget to brag about your promotions by making sure the “title change” clearly jumps out! Add bullets under each title that expresses accomplishments and highlights your return on investment with measurements that show your positive impact on the company’s P&L!” says Sharon Tsao, CMO, Contemporary Staffing Solutions.
Start Googling
Resume trends change all the time, so if this is your first resume or if it’s been 10 years since you’ve last updated yours, you’ll want to get a feel for current best practices. Looking at resume samples gives you an idea of the layout, language and wording you may want to adopt for your own resume. Make sure to include the year in your online searches so your results will show current trends.
Gather Critical Information
You’ll need to gather some important information in order to start your resume. Sit down with your computer or a pen and paper and list out:
- The types of jobs you’re going to target.
- The skills you have that are most relevant to those jobs.
- Your dates of employment at previous jobs.
- The addresses of previous employers.
- Accomplishments and results you achieved at previous jobs.
- Professional certifications, licenses, etc.
Gathering this information before you start writing will make the process of developing your resume much easier. It’s also a good idea to take a few days to list out your previous achievements. It’s easy to overlook some if you try to do it all at once.
Just Do It
The hardest part of any task is getting started. Once you’ve gathered all your relevant information, sit down with a template you like and just start writing. Don’t worry too much about what it looks like or how it sounds, just get your draft on paper.
“Talk to a professional recruiter and learn how to establish a relationship that demonstrates eagerness, a strong commitment to being available and flexible, and excellent follow up skills that support your high emotional intelligence!” says Victoria Cini, Recruiter, Contemporary Staffing Solutions.
Polish It
Once your draft is done, step away from your resume for a day and then come back to it and begin the process of polishing it. Study job descriptions of target jobs and make sure to include keywords that you see. This will ensure you get past the screening process.
Next, focus on your wording and structure. Make sure you’ve included all of the relevant information you need, and then be sure that the words flow well, make sense, and are free from errors. Once you’re done, have a trusted friend, colleague or family member review it to check for errors you may have missed.
Are You Embarking On A Job Search?
If you are a professional seeking new opportunities to grow your career, contact the expert recruiters at Contemporary Staffing Solutions. We can help you craft a resume that will impress hiring managers, and we will match you with opportunities that will allow you to achieve your professional goals.
See more helpful tips for: Call Center & Office, HR, Business Insight, Job Seekers.