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.

A Resume Writing Sample

A Resume Writing Sample Can Make the Process Easier

How many sites have you searched through looking for a good resume writing sample to help you with your own writing process? Finding the right information at the right time is essential. The sample shown below is a template for a resume in the Chronological Format.

Chronological resumes are good to use in many circumstances. This resume format is great if you have a solid background with continual employment, longevity with an employer (or two) and/or great academic credentials. Employers often prefer this format because it appears to be less subjective (or more “factual”).

It is written in reverse chronological order—with your most recent education and experiences listed first. The focus is typically on the Work Experience section. The Chronological Resume is the most commonly used format and it also the easiest to develop.

Writing a resume does not have to be drudgery. You can learn a lot about yourself in the process.


Sample Chronological Resume

Home Address
Street
City, State ZIP
Phone Number

OBJECTIVE: State your job target in a clear and concise way, emphasizing what
you can do for the company

EDUCATION: List most recent institution first, including dates attended and
subjects studied (or degree if one was conferred). List GPA if it
it over 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

EXPERIENCE: List most recent employer first, including job title, city and state
where you worked, dates employed, responsibilities of the position and accomplishments achieved.

SPECIAL SKILLS: Foreign languages, computer skills, relevant equipment knowledge

HONORS AND
AWARDS: Any certificates received, offices elected to, awards accepted


OTHER: Anything else that will excite the employer about meeting you

REFERENCES: Always list “Available Upon Request”


No resume format can guarantee success, but any one of the most commonly used formats, written well, could secure an interview slot. Which format you use is entirely up to you. Simply take your time to write it with these thoughts in mind:

1. Use active language that energizes the reader to want to get to know you better.
2. Ensure there are no typos or grammatical errors.
3. Only use one font
4. Keep all statements in the same verb tense (i.e. directed, formulated, enhanced).
5. Try to keep the resume to one page or two at the most.

Writing your own resume is not rocket science, but it does involve time and thought if you want to develop a marketing piece that sells your qualifications as well as possible.

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