In this article, you will find many helpful business resume tips that will help you create a professional resume that captures the interest of a prospective employer. It isn’t always easy to craft a resume; in fact, many people find it a very daunting and difficult task. If you are applying for work in a corporate or business office environment, you know that there may be many candidates applying for a single position; therefore, you need to make the most of your efforts. The business resume tips found below will make writing this essential document easier for you.
Gather your thoughts and jot down a few notes to make the process easier
Before you begin, grab a piece of paper and a pen so that you can make notes. This will help jog your memory as you go along, so that you don’t forget to include something important.
Write down jobs that you have help over past years, the position, your duties, accomplishments, etc. You will need employment dates, along with education background including high school, college and any workshops or seminars you may have attended that relate to the job you are applying for. Also write down hobbies, achievements, honors, awards and other information that may be important. You can narrow all of this down to the most essential details as you go along.
Five of the best business resume tips for making your resume shine:
1. Know why you are writing a resume to begin with! Many people mistakenly believe that their resume is important in order to get the job. While it is essential in that respect, the main purpose of a resume is to land an interview. Instead of writing a long, detailed (and potentially boring) document, your resume should be brief, filled with enthusiasm, and written in a way that highlights your strongest skills and accomplishments.
2. Make good use of effective keywords. Don’t know what keywords are? Look at the job advertisement. Things like “experienced cost accountant” or “motivated sales associate” are keyword phrases. There are also popular buzz words used in many industries, so do a little research to determine what the current buzz words are that are being used in your industry.
By using these keywords often in your resume, it is more likely to rise to the top of a search when your resume has been placed in a database, which often happens today.
3. Always write your resume in a way that highlights your achievements and accomplishments instead of duties and responsibilities. Merely telling an employer what your duties or responsibilities were in previous employment doesn’t cut it. You must demonstrate to a prospective employer how your talents and skills will benefit the company directly. The employer wants to know the answer to one single question, “What can you do for our company?”
4. Create attention-grabbing titles. What would you rather see in a potential employee, a title such as “Accounting,” or one that reads “Management of accounts payable department?” Employers will take notice quickly if they see you have a talent for managing, developing, increasing, implementing, etc. Make sure your titles are not dull!
5. Research the company and know as much as possible about them. By knowing and understanding what they do, their ethics and what they stand for, you can create a resume that is targeted toward the skills they are looking for in an employee. By working to create effective headings that speak to the needs of the company, you have an edge over other job candidates.
Put these business resume tips to work for you, and build a resume that will land you at the top of the list for an interview!