RESUME WRITING 101 FOR ALL GRADUATING STUDENTS

If you remember nothing else from this article, remember these four key points:

1. Resume writing is sales! You have a product to sell - yourself - and your challenge is to write and design a resume that proudly showcases that product.

2. The single most important concept in resume writing is positioning! "Who" are you and "how" do you want to be perceived?

3. There are no rules, only guidelines for resume writing! What you include and how you include that information will depend entirely on your career goals.

4. Resumes do not get jobs; only people can do that! The only purpose of your resume is to get an interview.

Now, let's explore each of those four items in more detail.

1. Resume writing is sales. When you go to the store to buy a new CD, a shirt or a pair of shoes, think about what catches your attention. Generally, the answer is the products that are merchandised and showcased the best - in the most eye-catching locations, the nicest boxes or the most colorful displays. Those are the items that are distinguishable from the rest.

Now, translate those same concepts to your resume and you'll realize that resumes that are the most effective are those that are competitively distinctive - the resumes that stand out from the crowd because of how you've presented your skills, qualifications, experiences and more.

Specifically, this relates to both the wording and the actual positioning of information on your resume. Read item #2 that follows to better understand about positioning as it relates to the sale and merchandising of your resume.

2. The single most important concept in resume writing is positioning. You must ask yourself "who" you want to be professionally and "how" you can best paint that picture.

For example, if your career objective is a position in accounting and you've just earned your accounting degree, then you'll want to showcase that degree, your related coursework and all of your relevant skills. Those items should be the primary focus of your resume.

By doing so, you're painting the picture of a well-qualified, entry-level accounting professional with just the "right" skills and experience for a career position.

On the other hand, if you've just earned that same accounting degree while working full-time as a pharmaceutical sales representative and you now want to continue your sales career, then the core of your resume will focus on your skills in sales, product management, customer relationship management and more; not on accounting.

Remember, your objective is to "paint the picture" that you want someone to see and showcase the items that are most supportive of your current career goals.

3. There are no rules, only guidelines, for resume writing. On the one hand, this makes the resume writing process fun and interesting, allowing you to include the information that is most relevant to your current career goals while downplaying, or even eliminating, information that is not relevant.

On the other hand, it can make the process more difficult, forcing you to make critical decisions about what to include, how to word it, where to include it and more.

Fortunately, OptimalResume.com has provided you with a great tool to help facilitate the design and development of your resume, ensuring that you meet all of the guidelines that your college, university or a prospective employer requires.

4. Resumes do not get jobs. When you are writing your resume, you should have one key goal in mind - to prompt the reader to take action and offer you an interview. That's it.

A resume alone is never going to get you a job. It may get you a summer internship in a foreign country, but it will never get you a professional job.

A company wants to meet whom they're hiring, get to know them and their qualifications, and be able to see the value that individual will bring to the organization. Be realistic in your expectations when submitting your resume!

THE FOUR MAJOR RESUME SECTIONS

Now that you understand the four most critical elements in resume writing, let's discuss the most important information you must know about writing each of the four major resume sections:

1. Objective - You only want to include an objective on your resume if you are certain about the type of position and/or the industry in which you are pursuing a job (e.g., Pursuing a position as an Engineer in the Automotive Industry).

If you're uncertain about your goals and want to be open to a number of different opportunities, do not include a vague objective statement. It detracts from the resume rather than strengthening it.

2. Professional Skills Summary - Skills come from everywhere - from your work experience, internships, college classes, volunteer activities, community involvement, life experience and more.

When writing the skills summary for your resume, be sure to include all of your skills that are relevant to your current career goals. You do not have to have been paid to do something in order to include it as a skill that you've acquired!

3. Education - This should be the easiest section of your resume to write since the information is generally straightforward.

Be sure to list your degree, college/university, honors or awards (e.g., academic, athletic, community, volunteer), highlights of coursework that is relevant to your current career goals and anything else that is notable about your education.

Ask yourself what distinguishes you from other graduates with similar degrees and then include that information.

4. Experience (including Internships) - The most important information to include when writing job descriptions is what did you do (e.g., responsibilities, skills, functions, activities) and how well did you do it.

Be sure to emphasize accomplishments, contributions, special projects or other highlights that are notable about each position. Remember, success skills!

SUMMARY

For those of you who enjoy writing in general, writing your resume should be lots of fun. Consider all the skills, qualifications and experiences you've had throughout your lifetime and then determine how you can best merchandise them to position yourself for a rewarding career opportunity.

For those of who do not find writing a particularly easy or fulfilling task, it may take you a bit longer to write your resume, but it will be well worth the effort.

Once you see all of your skills and qualifications on paper, you'll be amazed at what you have already accomplished and what wonderful opportunities lie before you. Good luck!