It’s not what you did but what you can do!
Resume Tune-Up from Robbie Miller Kaplan
Out of college just a few years, Michelle is an
accounting professional with numerous credentials and two positions.
Michelle’s resume documents
all her credentials in detail rather than selectively choosing and
presenting her credentials based on how they relate to the positions she
seeks. This is a problem because resumes work best when they detail the
unique qualifications the professional brings to each potential
employer.
Michelle includes far too much personal data and it’s on
her first page. Instead, she should focus on the types of problems
potential employers are facing and document for each work experience her
related successes; think in terms of problems you’ve encountered, how
you solved them, and actual results. Core credentials such as education,
certifications, and training should follow.
It would be helpful if Michelle used bold and uppercase to guide the reader’s eye, for example, highlighting either job titles or organizational names. Instead of making a list of job duties, it’s important to craft experience statements, beginning with an introductory one that details primary experience, essentially what you do and who you do it for. Follow established grammatical guidelines, writing current experience in the present tense and all past experiences in the past tense. Proper sentences include a verb and appropriate punctuation. Always eliminate clutter, such as subheadings: company, address, position, etc. Clutter takes away from the important elements of a resume – the content that demonstrates why you are uniquely qualified for the job.