Help Yourself

Knowing is proper format. This is the one thing I see as a problem most often with my job-seeker clients. A lot of people have problem situations that create a challenge in producing a professional-looking curriculum vitae, but with a little thought, they can include everything they need and keep the format. Keeping a curriculum vitae in format is important for the hiring agent. Imagine you are the one weeding through a pile of curriculum vitaes where some are three pages long and others are done in a script font in blue ink. Why add to the hiring agent’s headache? Keep your curriculum vitae to one page and use black ink in an 11 or 12 pitch Times New Roman font. Include only the last ten years of work history. Steer clear of colored paper, personal information like your birthday, and bolding or using italics, unless it is in a header.

The objective that you state at the top of your curriculum vitae is the second factor and should never be overlooked. It needs to be brief, specific, and there should be a distinct relation between the objective and the demonstrated abilities that you list in your work history. Your objective states clearly what you want. Most people have a fear around making a targeted statement about what they want. But, the objective isn’t set in stone - it can change according to each job for which you are submitting your curriculum vitae. When a hiring agent is reviewing curriculum vitaes, the ones with a well-prepared objective at the top will get the most immediate attention. It show’s that you are following format and let’s them know right up front what you want. It is a qualifying factor and helps the hiring agent determine your candidacy. If your curriculum vitae makes the short pile of most likely candidates, your objective could actually be the deciding factor.

The third most important factor when it comes to how to write resume has to do with the posturing of your work history. If you already have a curriculum vitae, pull it out and look at the duties that you list under your last job. Does it read more like a job description or does it reflect your abilities over and above what you were hired to do? The duties you list should be brief phrases that show how you added value to that particular company. You need to choose powerful words to describe your contributions, like “provided leadership,” “organized,” “created,” “facilitated,” “solved” and “entire.” Do you see how these words can elevate the typical “filing,” or “customer relations” language? Check everything that you list against your objective to ensure that there is a direct correlation between the two. You are giving evidence to support your objective, so do a good job in selecting your words, and let those words do a good job for you.

If you want to create a much more interesting job possibility for yourself, writing the ideal curriculum vitae is your best bet. While there are other details that will pump up the “wow” response on your curriculum vitae, the key factors listed here will get you well ahead of the game. If you run into roadblocks, don’t hesitate to seek professional advice. That advice could be just the advantage you need to ensure your ultimate success.

Tags

Self Help, Business & Management

This entry was posted on Monday, April 30th, 2007 at 5:46 am and is filed under Self Help, Business & Management. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.