The resume is a critical marketing tool for any person seeking a new career opportunity. It is much more than the traditional summary of one's experience and background. Today's resume is the major sales tool that you will utilize to highlight your skills, areas of knowledge, significant accomplishments and the scope of your experience. It should be written in a way that is attractive to the reader, and so that the information is easily absorbed.

Important points that should be considered prior to starting to write a resume are the following:

I . The purpose of the resume is not to get the job but to get the interview. The resume should provide the reader with enough information that they will want to talk to you either by phone or in a personal interview, but not so much information that they won't read it or won't feel the need to contact you.

2. While the resume may not need a "Career Objective," it needs to be written towards a particular career goal or objective. The resume should contain critical information selected on the basis of being important to the career opportunity that you are seeking.

3. The resume should be written in an outline format that can be quickly and easily read. It is very important to pick action words that the reader will find interesting and exciting.

4. On length, the rule of thumb is that a resume should not be more than two pages. In general, if a person has less than ten years of professional experience, the resume should be kept to one page; if more than ten years, it can be a two-page resume.

5. The resume should only contain very selected information. Ask yourself, "is this information critical to being considered for the position you are seeking?" If it is information that is not critical nor relevant to the job you are seeking, then it should be omitted.

G. The resume should be entirely truthful. There should not be any misrepresentations on the resume relative to work experience or education. However, it is not necessary to include all of one's background on the resume. It is selected information; irrelevant work history or education may be left off the resume.

RESUME FORMAT

Currently, the most popular format for a resume begins with a CAREER SUMMARY. Most individuals write a short paragraph summarizing their entire work experience and education. In addition, we advise individuals to list areas of skill and knowledge in an outline format that would be key to a potential employer.

The next part, PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, contains your company's name and your job title and a summary of the organization in terms of scope and size, followed by a summary of the responsibilities of the position.

Next would be a listing of significant accomplishments that you have had, presented in an outline format with action verbs. Typically, we want the accomplishments to be described in terms of activity and the result. They do not have to be written in complete sentences and they should be written in an outline format with dollars or percentages listed as often as possible. Most of the time, we recommend approximately three to six accomplishments per position. However, if an individual has had a position a particularly long time, they may want to put down more accomplishments. List more accomplishments for recent positions than for prior positions.

The Accomplishments Section is very critical to the resume. Most organizations that are seeking candidates today will base their decision on whom they want to interview according to the significant accomplishments which relate to the position they are trying to fill. Most employers and recruiting firms receive several hundred resumes and select those to interview who have made a significant impact in their prior positions. There should also be a variety of accomplishments and they should correspond with the highlighted area of skills and knowledge in the CAREER SUMMARY section.

The next key area on the resume is EDUCATION. In the Education area, list your most advanced degree first. Significant company-sponsored courses or seminars that you have attended that relate to their areas of knowledge and skills should also be included on the resume.

Other areas that can be included on a resume, if space allows, would include professional affiliations and community activities. A personal section can be included; however, the personal section should be limited to information relative to hobbies and interests, and willingness to relocate, and should exclude any areas that could be determined to be discriminatory.

Some other key tips to ensure that the resume is as effective as possible would include:

1. Verify that all punctuation, spelling and grammar are correct.

2. Print the resume on a high quality typewriter or laser printer to ensure that the copies are of an excellent quality.

3. Place your name on the second page.

4. Set the sides and top margins to have a minimum of 1/2 inch.

5. Use bold type for the heading.

6. Use a variety of action verbs to communicate the accomplishments.

7. Make the overall appearance of the resume look professional and inviting to read.

One way of determining what should or should not be included in a resume is to review current job ads for specific terminology, key buzz words and action verbs that you will want to include in your resume.

Again, remember, the resume is not a history of your employment and education but a key marketing tool of very selected information that is written to appeal to the reader and create a need for more information.

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