Category: Resume

A resume is a one- to two-page document summarizing your career objectives, professional experiences and achievements, as well as your educational background. A job search may require the searcher to prepare and send several copies of his/her resume before obtaining the desired job.

Job Descriptions Prioritized on a Resume




Qualification listings

The most difficult and time consuming section of any resume is the listing of your work experience, no matter the level you’ve reached in your professional career. If you recently graduated college and lack full-time professional experience, you may be concerned about whether or not a part time job and/or summer internship will be enough to get your foot in the door; and if you are a seasoned professional with extensive work experience, you are worried about how to fit all of your hard work on a single page.

Furthermore, if you are changing careers, you might very well be unsure about which skills best showcase your qualifications. Even with all these worries and concerns, listing work responsibilities on our resumes still does not get easier as our careers move forward. That having been said however, the key is to consider your career objective and prioritize the work in accordance to your goals.

When some individuals are asked about work responsibilities they have a tendency to disclose the routine items first; but this method can create the costly mistake of listing professional experiences on your resume, because it leaves all the important and key qualifications at the bottom. To avoid falling into this practice, a job applicant should first put together a rough draft – in list form – of his/her responsibilities on a sheet of paper consisting of everything s/he does in a current job, or have done in previous jobs.

Setting the resume priorities

Once your list is completed, consider all of the responsibilities included and make a determination of what the three most important items on the list are for each job. Then consider how those items relate to the stated career objective. Are there any other responsibilities listed that better support that career objective than the three selected? If they are better, are they also most critical to the job? An applicant must consider all these questions in order to prioritize his/her job descriptions on a resume.

It may be helpful to begin each description with a power word such as managed, developed or communicated; and make sure that any statements listed first quantify your achievements; but– don’t be afraid to list descriptions like sales figures, customer acquisition rates, budget and timeline successes, or other figures which help put your responsibilities in context of the business or field in which you are working. Also, these statements should be aligned with your career objective.

If, for example, you want to get a job in project management, letting your employer know that you managed a team of 20 people will effectively highlight your qualifications. The importance of quantifying your job description statements on a resume cannot be overstated. However, as a word of caution, do not quantify all statements, just one or two that are goal driven and most critical to your job. This shows potential employer that you think in terms of exceeding your goals. Keep in mind that all subsequent descriptions of your responsibilities should support the first one or two items on your list.

Achievements & qualifications

Prioritizing doesn’t only apply to your job descriptions, although it is the most commonly disregarded element in this particular area of the resume. Achievements and qualifications are often misrepresented because they are not ordered properly; but the same rules apply.

Make a determination as to which of your achievements and qualifications are most complimentary to your career objective, and list them first. For example, if you are applying for a job in customer service, it helps to list your communication skills before your computer skills.

While both the achievements and qualifications are important, communication skills are more in line with your career objective, and therefore should take priority. As a final test, put yourself in the shoes of your employer. Cross-check the job description and make sure that you’ve addressed the qualifications required for a specific job with the information on your resume. Let your potential employer know you have what they are looking for, and you’ll be sure to make a great first impression.

Customizing Your Resume to the Ideal Job




Similar look, different resume

While the look of most resumes appear similar to each other on the surface, there are key areas that differentiate well-written, winning resumes from those that never make it into the hands of hiring managers. To customize your resume for that ideal job you want, it is important to direct your attention to the following three elements:

  • Resume Style
  • Career Objective, and;
  • Personal Profile.

The layout and style of your resume are as important as the information you include about your experience and qualifications. The two most commonly used resume styles are chronological and functional. A chronological resume requires you to list your professional expertise in order – much like the name implies – and is used by those applicants with extensive professional experience. Functional resumes showcase an applicant’s experience based on the type of qualifications s/he has, and is typically used by those lacking professional experience or those changing careers.

While there are no set rules in determining the best resume style to use, it is important to keep in mind that the resume format can help or hurt your chances when attempting to put your best foot forward. It is therefore of the utmost importance to pick the format that will best highlight your qualifications and your experience. It is also important to understand the difference between the two; which is why a little research into which format is more preferred in the field of your choice is something that should be done.

Career objective

Career objective of the professional resume – This is a very important component in the preparation of your resume; and while there have been extensive debate about the need for listing your objective on any resume you prepare, choosing to include this goal statement shows that you have given your professional growth some serious thought. Consider your career objective as the first impression you make on your potential employer. Make sure your goals are specific and directional in terms of industry, position title, and future professional achievements.

Most people make a mistake of including generic statements under their career objective; but you should make every effort to avoid this mistake. To be effective your statement must tell a potential employer that you know what kind of job you want and what experience you have in order to get the position, as well as what you are willing to do in order to become a successful professional with the company.

While the career objective section tells your potential employer why you are applying for the job at their organization, the professional profile section sells your expertise and convinces the employer that you are the best candidate for that job. Your professional summary/profile gives you the opportunity to differentiate yourself, and give your employer an insight into you. Two frequently repeated mistakes for this section of the resume are poor writing and inclusion of personal information.

Not personal, but impressive

Note that your age, ethnicity, gender, religious affiliations and such personal information do not make a difference on how you handle yourself as a business professional. Such information should never be included in a resume, or any job application materials (even when asked on a job application, such information is optional and is for demographics study only). Make sure this section is well written and error-free, since strong positive statements about your expertise will give a good first impression to your employer.

Make sure to proofread the whole resume, with emphasis to this section, as it appears at the start of your resume. An effective personal statement must leave your employer with an impression that you are confident, credible, and professional. But keep in mind that– any resume you prepare is your sales pitch which demonstrates your qualifications and experience to a potential employer; so seize the opportunity to put your best foot forward and you will reap the excellent rewards you aspire to.