Job Search Series: Resumes - Part Two

In today's tight job market, resumes are more important than ever. Here are six TIPS to help you prepare the most effective resume possible.

A caveat: There are some specialized resumes for which some of these tips might not be appropriate, such as an academic resume (c.v.) or an executive resume.

1. Begin by preparing a Master Resume which lists ALL your skills and talents, all the jobs you've ever held, all of your academic credentials, professional affiliations, volunteer experience, travel, languages spoken, relevant hobbies, etc. However, this resume will probably run at least 2-3 pages and should NOT be posted or used in application for a job. It is your starting point, not your finished product.

2. Customize, customize, customize! The days of the one-size-fits-all resume are over! Match your resume to the specific job you are applying for. An easy way to do this is to make a copy of your Master Resume and then remove everything that does not apply to this job.

3. Keep your resume to one page. If you must spill over to two pages, make the resume double-sided. But understand this: the most important information must be in the top half of the first page. If you haven't caught the reader's attention by then, your resume will probably be tossed.

4. As was mentioned in Part One of the series on Resumes, the language used on your resume needs to match the language used in the job posting (to the extent that you can while being truthful). Many resumes are now scanned by a machine that is programmed to look for certain keywords. This is especially true of resumes going to recruiters, agencies, and large companies. If too many of those keywords are missing, the resume will be sorted into the "No" pile. Even human resume readers scan quickly in that way. If a resume doesn't catch the attention of a human reader in the first 5 seconds, it will probably be set aside or tossed immediately.

5. Begin your resume with an Ojective. The Objective should be specific to the job you are applaying for. For example, if you were applying for an Office Manager position that you found on CraigsList, your Objective would read as follows:

OBJECTIVE: Office Manager, CraigList posting # 1354276.

6: After the Objective, put a Summary. Here, in no more than 3-5 lines, you will list the skills and experience that you have that match the job description you are applying for. Be sure to use the same words and phrases used in the ad or job posting. [Caveat: Match what you can, but never lie!]

The information contained in the Objective and the Summary need to be specific to the job you are applying for. This section of the resume is the most important and it acts as a gatekeeper for the rest. The Yes-No-Maybe decision is made using the information in the top half of the first page of your resume. [Again, avoid having a second page, if possible. The information there will not be given much importance anyway, and may not even be read.]

Next subject: What is the difference between a functional and a chronological resume? Look for this topic in Part Three of this series on Resumes - coming soon.