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Article:
Get a Job! Tips for Organizing Your Resume by: Stacey Agin Murray Whether you're a Vice President of Marketing or a recent college grad, your resume is the 'key' to opening the doors of employment. It is an employer's first impression of you and believe it or not, many hiring officials spend less than thirty seconds reviewing it. With only fleeting moments to make a first impression, it is imperative that your resume be organized. Polish your shoes, practice your handshake, and take note of some tips for creating an organized resume that will catch the eye of even the most weary of HR associates: Start by sitting down with your old resume and a timer. Give yourself fifteen seconds to read it. How far did you get? Were you able to read the whole page? Besides 'getting your foot in the door,' your goal is to create a resume that can be scanned top to bottom in less than 30 seconds. It must be organized to punctuate your strengths and highlight your employment-related achievements. Next, give yourself another fifteen seconds but this time skim your resume as if you were the person doing the hiring. What parts stood out? Was it a bold or italic phrase? Was it a tabbed column of words or a dollar sign? Think about what words or sections jumped out at you, circle them in red, and use them within the body of your new resume. For another opinion, take a fresh copy and ask a friend or family member to do the same. On scrap paper, create a chart and write all of your past jobs across the top of the page. Below each job title list at least 2-4 duties/accomplishments relating to the position. Analyze each of those and ask yourself: Does this achievement have any relevance to the job I'm now pursuing? Will the reader of my resume be impressed by the money I've saved the company/the body of work I created/the skills I've acquired? If your answer is yes, the next step is to prioritize those duties and/or accomplishments. For example, let's say you are an administrative assistant listing relevant duties and achievements from your last job. This is your newly-brainstormed, non-prioritized list: answered phone calls created and color-coded filing system to support VP of Sales coordinated supervisor's travel arrangements saved Sales department $'12
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