How Does Your Work Experience Stack Up: A Resume Tip

When an employer is looking at your resume, they are seeking answers to their questions. They want to know if what you have done in the past will meet the needs of their organization in the future. Everything in your resume needs to be evaluated with that in mind. Nothing should be put on your resume if it does not lead the employer to believe that you are the right person for the job.

When trying to decide what to put on your resume in the work experience section, ask yourself these questions:

How do my skills compare with what the job specifications are?
Will my experience translate well into the position I am seeking?
Can this achievement help the employer see my worth as a job candidate?
Does this responsibility reflect the quality of a good employee?

The idea is to highlight your skills and accomplishments so that they best fit with the job you are seeking. One thing that can be very helpful is injecting keywords that identify you as a confident, assertive worker. Using a word like "directed" is a lot different than "oversaw". Use strong, enthusiastic words to create a positive expectation in the mind of the employer.

Another thing to consider is that most job titles are specific to an industry. Unless you are targeting a job in your current industry, you need to make sure that your qualifications explain exactly what you did because your job title likely will not.

Mostly, just remember that what you put in the resume work experience section isn't supposed to look like a job description. It's designed to highlight your job qualifications in a way that excites the employer.

Use this section of the resume to emphasize your accomplishments, your skills and your abilities. Let the employer see just how awesome you are and why you are the best fit for the job.

Best of Luck!

Carla Vaughan-Bosteder, Owner/Webmaster Best-Interview-Strategies.com

Carla is the owner of Best-Interview-Strategies.com, a web site devoted to assisting candidates in the job-search process. She holds a B.S. in Business from Southern Illinois University and has authored several books.