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How To Write A Resume

Why Your Resume Matters

Did you know that on average an employer takes only 8-10 seconds to screen your Resume and Job Application Cover Letter before considering an applicant to either be shortlisted for a pre-screen telephone interview or not? A Resume is a medium for advertising yourself, it’s the first means in which you use to present yourself as a job applicant and try to claim that you are the best choice candidate to a prospective employer.

Basic Tips For Writing a Professional Resume

You’ve been a top performer over the years but when it comes to documenting your successes and experience, it can be a struggle.

Answer some of these questions and resume writing will become much easier. Remember to keep it pithy!

how-to-write-resume

Showcase Your Skills

What experience, skills, aptitudes, or traits do you have, or think you might have, that could be of some use to some employer?

How Do Your Update Yourself?

What skills have you developed, at least to some degree, that you have never used at work?

Are You a Team Player?

Do others, at work or elsewhere, come to you for any particular kind of help? What kind?

Are You an Author?

Have you ever published an article, report, or anything, even as a volunteer, even in your company professional association newsletter?

Can You Do Presentations?

Have you ever given a talk, speech, or presentation, or provided training to anyone at work or elsewhere? Give the specifics.

Are You Multi-Lingual?

What foreign languages do you know at least somewhat, and what is your level of skill in each. i.e. native speaker; fluent; moderate; phrase-book; write easily for professional purposes?

What Tools Do You Know?

What planning or analytical tools are you familiar with?

Show Your Management Experience

What experience have you had as a manager of business processes?

Do You Have Military Experience?

Do you have military experience (include Coast Guard and merchant marine)? Branch, grade, Specialty? Active duty, reserves, national guard? Discharge? Duties? Accomplishments? Medals, citations, commendations? Promotions ahead of schedule? You can treat military experience either here, as general background, or list each position as an employer in the Resume Questionnaire. Don’t forget, military training can be particularly useful in private industry if it is relevant to your objective.

Computer Literacy And Related Skills

What platforms can you use? Which one are you most comfortable with? What operating systems are you familiar with? If you program, which languages do you know, and what is your level of ability or experience in: What programs, or kinds of programs, have you designed or helped design or debug? What Internet research tools are you familiar with? What programs are you familiar with? (If you’re not familiar with the latest version, give only program’s name.)

Show Your Special Travel Experience

Do you have any special travel experience, domestic or foreign? If you studied, lived, or worked in a foreign country, how long were you there? Did you live in an American enclave?

Let’s Talk About Your Past Responsibilities & Activities!

  • How many people did you supervise? Orient? Hire? Train?

  • How large a budget did you manage?

  • Who do you report to?

  • What was the highest level in the company that you reported to or communicated with directly?

  • Did you coordinate anything?

  • Mediate between groups or individuals? Resolve any conflicts? Serve as mentor to anyone?

  • Serve as liaison between groups or key individuals?

  • Did you do, or participate in, strategic planning?

  • Did you set or evaluate or participate in the setting or evaluation of policy?

  • Did you evaluate any individual or group performance, or any task or project research?

  • How did you relate to the product or service?

  • Did you communicate with customers? How?

  • Were you on any proposal teams, in-house or with a customer or subcontractor? Did the proposal succeed?

  • What was your function on the team, or your contribution to winning? Your team’s percentage of wins?

  • Did you communicate with suppliers or subcontractors? How?

  • Did you purchase services or supplies for the office, unit, department?

  • Ever serve as a troubleshooter? In what area?

  • Did you back up someone? Who?

  • Did you do any surveys or other research or studies? Determine requirements?

  • Prepare recommendations?

  • Design or manage any processes, systems, or projects?

  • Organize any events, conferences, meetings? How many?

  • Did you administer anything?

  • Consult for anyone, inside or outside the organization?

  • Did you gain experience in any special use software?

  • Foreign languages?

  • Analytical or evaluative procedures?

  • Equipment or hardware?

  • What kind of writing did you do, for yourself or someone else (e-mail, correspondence, memos, reports, concept papers, plans, proposals, office newsletter, etc.)? What did you write about?

  • Did you write any that was delivered to a customer as a product, or part of one?

Don’t Forget To Add Your Achievements & Accomplishments!

  • How much reduction in costs or increase in profits did you contribute to?

  • What did you do?

  • Did you add any smoothness, quality, or economy of operation that noticeably improved the way things were before you assumed responsibility?

  • Any concrete or specific signs of the gain you achieved?

  • Did you propose, suggest, or initiate any programs, changes, or improvements that were implemented at least partly because of your initiative?

  • What positive results occurred?

  • What did you do as a volunteer, beyond the regular duties of your position?

  • Whether you were paid for it or not, what were you particularly good at that made a difference in how the office (job, project, assignment) progressed from day to day

What Awards & Special Recognition Have You Earned?

  • Were you praised, recognized, or given a pat on the back for anything-a particular assignment, a method of working, a trait of character? How? By whom?

  • Were you promoted ahead of schedule?

  • Selected for any special responsibilities or programs?

Ready With Your Resume? You Are One Step Closer to a New Career!

We’re always on the lookout for top talent! Join one of the most extensive networks of property & casualty and healthcare insurance employers looking for great people like you. Feel free to upload your resume, or if you have questions, Contact Us!

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