Resume Writing: Are You Experienced?

Many times, job seekers will spend a good deal of time resume writing and have great resume experience only potential employers never see it. How do employers miss this information? Quite simply, the information is buried amidst clutter on the job seeker’s resume.

Although many human resource managers are dedicated to finding the right person to fill the open positions at their companies, they are often too busy to spend a lot of time trying to extract the pertinent information from any individual’s resume. For this reason, you would be well-served by drafting a resume that really lets your experience shine.

The first step to catching a prospective employer’s eye is writing a great objective statement. Try to compose an objective that focuses on career goals that will contribute to your future employer’s bottom line. Human resource managers look for objectives that aren’t completely selfish, but have a ring of truth to them.

Another step in creating a streamlined, polished resume is to determine how much of your resume experience is needed. A recent graduate who doesn’t have a great deal of experience may need to include any experience he has on his resume. On the other hand, an experienced professional may only need to include his experience from the last job or two or ten years. Evaluate your specific situation and the job you are seeking to decide how far into the past your work history should extend.

Next, you’ll want to ensure that your resume experience relates to the types of positions you are applying for. Although you can’t change your work history, you can highlight the aspects of your old jobs that show your aptitude for your desired positions. Consider the skills you will need in your prospective job and look for ways to relate your old jobs to them.

Remove any unnecessary information. Hobbies, for instance, typically aren’t really a strong selling point for any applicant. Although you may truly love home improvement projects, your potential employer may not care how you spend your weekends. If you are confident that your hobbies will impact your chances of landing your dream job, you can always address them in your cover letter.

Little or No Experience

Searching for that first, entry-level job can be a frustrating experience. You’ve applied for every job you could find, but no one’s called you in for an interview. You know that your resume experience is a little sparse. However, you know that you are a qualified candidate and hard worker. You just need to get invited to an interview so you can sell yourself to the interviewer.

Unfortunately, you’re in the same boat that many first-time job hunters find themselves in. Resume experience is one of the first things that recruiters look for as they review resumes. There’s just one problem: you can’t get experience until you have that first job. You’ll need to follow a few extra guidelines as you write your first professional resume.

Resume Tips for Those with No Professional Experience

Make a big deal about your education. You’ve spent several years working on your studies; now is the time to show off what you’ve learned. If you’re school has a particularly good reputation, make sure you tout that reputation on your resume. A strong GPA is also worth mentioning on your resume.

List experience gained and positions held in extra-curricular activities. Although you may not have had a professional job yet, odds are that you’ve put in your fair share of hours in extra-curricular activities at school. For instance, if you organized your sorority’s annual golf tournament, you should be sure to mention that. List the skills you needed to put the event together and brag about the results of the event.

Don’t minimize the part-time work you did while you were in college. Although the job you had waiting tables at your local pizza joint may not seem worthy of a position on your resume, experience gained at almost any job can be a positive thing. A job you held throughout college shows a potential employer that you build long-term relationships. A customer service job at a retail center will reveal that you have strong interpersonal skills.

You can also get out and perform some volunteer work while you are job hunting. Add these experiences to your resume.

Include your positive characteristics in your resume or cover letter. All employers want employees who are optimistic, energetic, reliable, prompt, and can listen and follow instructions. Let employers know what you can and will do for them.