This September I spent two days doing Resume Assessment at The 
National Job Fair and Training Expo in Toronto. 400 Job Seekers 
received free resume assessments from nine Resume Writers.  There 
was a 2-3 hour wait for this service that was available from 10 
am - 8 pm.  Since a resume is critical to our employment success, 
waiting a few hours for professional advice wasn't a big deal to 
most people.

Although no one gets hired solely on the basis of a resume, many 
job seekers miss the opportunity of an interview because of an 
inadequate resume.  Your resume can (and should) have a distinct 
personality to it.  It should separate you from all the people 
applying to land that dream job. Be unique!

A lot of people think a generalized resume describing everything 
they have ever done is a great way to show their experience and 
skills. This is not true.  You should only include information 
that is useful to the job you are applying for.  If you are 
applying for a variety of positions, write more than one resume. 
To make this process easier start with a general resume, and use 
it as a template by cutting and pasting the most relevant 
information for the different positions.


Style of Resumes

There are a two basic resume styles: Chronological and Skill 
Based.

The most popular style for resumes is the Chronological Resume. 
It provides a job-by-job listing of each position you have held 
starting with your most recent.  Use a Chronological Resume if 
you have consistent work history, and your job titles are 
supportive of your objective.

If you are making a career change, and your title and work 
history don't match your job objective, use a Skill Based Resume. 
A Skill Based Resume should also be used if you have gaps in 
employment, a short work history, your skills are transferable, 
your most recent experience doesn't support your objective, or 
you have an erratic work history.


Simple Crucial Resume Writing Tips

*  Know your audience before you begin writing your resume.  
   Your resume must be consistent with the position you are 
   pursuing.

*  Choose your language carefully and proofread. Your resume 
   must be free of spelling, grammar, punctuation, or 
   typographical errors.

*  Tailor your resume to your prospective employer's needs - 
   highlight the skills and abilities that will make you're 
   an attractive candidate.

*  Your resume should answer the potential employer's 
   questions, "Why should I hire you?" in 20 seconds or 
   less.

*  Focus on your expertise, abilities, and accomplishments.

*  Use bullets. They make a resume more reader-friendly if 
   used consistently.

*  Describe your roles and accomplishment with strong action 
   words and key terms that will grab attention.

*  Keep all descriptions short.  Descriptions should generally 
   take up no more than three to four lines on the page.  Full 
   sentences are not necessary, however, be consistent with 
   punctuation.


Length of a resume

There is no "rule of thumb" for resume length.  For an 
experienced job seeker, a one-page resume may be too short and 
even look too "entry-level".  A properly designed, well-written 
two-page resume would be far better.  Your resume is your 
marketing tool.  Can you market yourself on a one page resume or 
will you need two or three pages to include your best skills, 
accomplishments, and experiences? Note: In every resume, the 
first 10-15 lines are the most important.  They will motivate a 
recruiter to read on or to stop.  Longer resumes need to be 
carefully designed to "sell" you up front. The real cost of 
writing a basic or weak resume is valuable time and thousands of 
dollars in missed opportunities.


Copyright 2005 Cecile Peterkin. All rights reserved. 

Cecile Peterkin is a Certified Career and Life Coach. She 
publishes "Recipes for Success", a FREE monthly e-zine on 
how to achieve success and live your best life, personally 
and professionally. Cecile is also author of The Career 
Athlete, an e-book on managing your career. Sign up now 
for Cecile's FREE e-course "Resume Writing" 
mailto:resumewriting@cosmiccoachingcentre.com 
and visit Cecile's website for more information: 
http://www.CosmicCoachingCentre.com .