Resume How to write

Writing a resume is a VITAL piece of work. Your Resume / CV is your critical key piece of marketing information, the difference between job hunting success or failure.

So don't settle for second best. It's about writing an honest, compelling and personality packed document that earns you the interview, and prepares you for interview success.

A Few Guidelines for Resume Writing Success

• A resume or CV is a marketing document, selling YOU.
• It's written for a specific reader.
• The reader is faced with a buying decision (to invite you for interview or NOT?)
• To be "bought" you have to appeal to your readers emotional and logical needs.

When considering how to write a resume or CV I believe it helps to think of it in another way.

It's a very similar process to writing an advert, this time the product or service your selling is YOU.

What you are doing is copy writing.

Copy writing is about grabbing the readers attention, holding their interest, leveraging their emotions to create desire for the product, desire that is so strong it motivates the reader to take action (invite for interview).

When writing your resume / CV you have to help the reader down the same road, creating the desire in them to take action.

When considering YOUR specific reader, you probably don't know them personally, but you do know a couple of key pieces of information.

• Whether they be HR, or CEO or Recruiter they need somebody to fulfill work / business tasks. And have a logical list of requirements or skills associated with the successful completion of these tasks.
• They also want somebody who will fit in with the other workers, reliable, honest. What I like to term likable.

Therefore to be "bought" or more accurately invited in for interview, your CV / Resume has to convince your reader that you are both a logical (skills, experience, potential) and emotional (likable) choice.

Communicating your logical reasons for getting the interview is simple, it's about showing the reader you have the skills, experience and / or potential to do what they need doing.

Communicating likability in resume writing is another matter, a much harder proposition.

How to Write a Resume communicating both logical and likable benefits

This page is very much around the CV / resume writing technique rather than the format of your content or what resume template to use.

It's not about how to write a resume objective statement or resume summary statement these are covered on other pages. It is about showing how to write what your reader wants...

• Showing you have the skills they need
• Describing achievements more than tasks and responsibilities
• Using tangible, measurable descriptions
• Injecting your unique likable personality

Presuming you know what your reader wants and needs Few more rules

• Your writing must be concise
• Whole document 1 - 3 pages max
• Must write in 3rd person (take all 'I's out)

Using bullet points is an great way of cutting waffle out of your CV / resume, and it introduces white space in your document, which is proven to be very kind to the eye.

Use "power verbs" one of these words can often replace 3 or 4 in a sentence, making for a fast, punchy delivery.

Use the STAR Method to ensure your work descriptions include achievements. STAR standing for Specific, Target, Action, Results. And means that for every relevant job in your CV / resume you describe it's specific description, objective or target, what actions YOU took, and the results or achievements.

Within these STAR descriptions use tangible language (How much, many, budgets, where, when, use percentages or exact figures where possible)

For example:

"2003/04 Sold £358,000 widgets against annual target of £400,000"

Most people would put something like "target busting salesperson", which has been seen a million times before.

The example above even though shows a below target performance, will be well received for it's honesty and detail.

Now to add Likability...

This is likability in the business environment, meaning, honest, reliable, professional, with appropriate social and communication skills to fit into the workforce.

So in terms of CV / resume writing this means using YOUR descriptive behaviour and character traits that are appropriate to the readers needs.

So for the example salesperson, persistence and creativity would be great descriptive words to include, as both are valuable assets to a salesperson.

It's not always easy to write about yourself, so if your struggling take the free MAPP test this will give you loads of great honest descriptions to put into your CV / Resume.

If you follow these tips you will have a CV / Resume that will not only earn you the interview, but will prepare you for interview success.