Best Tips for Writing a Professional Resume

The best tips for writing a professional resume do not include listening to everything you hear from family and friends. Toss out the old rules and misnomers about resumes having to be one page long and of a certain format. One of the best tips for writing a professional resume is to know that each resume is a one of a kind – there are no duplicates because each one is unique.

It is with time, effort and research that you can have a pitch perfect and highly professional resume. Some of the best tips for writing a professional resume provided by industry pros still are not always what is best for your situation.  Understanding that a well written resume is your passport to an interview is essential. With that notion in tow then you should be able to discern what a human resources specialist is looking for in a candidate.

Best Tips for Writing a Professional Resume

The sole aim of writing a resume is to secure an interview and snag a good job.  Many resume writers sell hype – that is they sell the façade that with their services you will be guaranteed to get a job because of the magic that they used to update your resume. You should be wary of resume services because everything that they can do you can inevitably do on your own.

Know Your Employer

Knowing what the potential employer is looking for is half of the battle won when it comes to resume writing. One of the more crucial things that you could consider doing is to look carefully at the job announcement. Look at the position and all of the keywords that are listed in the desired qualifications and expected duties. 

Apply the characteristics that are desired and mandatory to those qualifications that you have that may match what the employer is looking for. If a potential employer was looking for a candidate with five years of administrative experience and you have seven years of office experience you should compare your resume with the job announcement. You can swap out certain adjectives. For example, the word “administrative” is an adjective for “office work.” Look carefully and note any similarities that you may have.

All About You

List all of the activities or professional organization in which you may be a member. Consider listing those affiliations with associations where you hold a significant position. Pull from those associations any information on your leadership abilities – even if you think it sounds silly, if it showcases your leadership abilities you should note it in your resume. 

Additionally, you should consider tailoring your resume to the particular industry in which you are seeking work. If it is retail, then you should develop a resume that focuses on any retail experience that you may have. Furthermore, if you are applying for a management level position, then you need to focus more on your management background in your resume. 

It is important that you discuss what your strengths are – you can do this in a short bulleted list. You want to draw the prospective employer’s eye to your strengths. So if you are excellent at interpersonal communication and writing then you should note it on your resume. If you are a go-getter who is willing to go the extra mile in order to get the job done, then your should note that as well. 

Do not make the mistake in thinking that your resume is just a record of your past. That is a huge mistake. A resume is a compact instruction manual that tells potential employers where you want to be. While you are including a glimpse into your past work history, you should always think of your resume as a how-to manual for potential employers to invest in. 

For more information on how to write a professional resume, you should peruse the Internet for samples and options. Furthermore, you can go to your local library or community college for assistance.