A great resume begins with a good outline. Planning your resume outline requires strategic critical thinking and an intimate understanding of standard resume-writing techniques. Before picking up your pen, take a moment to think about your career and your goals. Compile a list of experiences, successes and skills that you can use to create a winning resume outline.
Benefits
To secure a job in a market saturated with qualified applicants, your resume has to stand out. The way you construct your outline will determine whether your resume boldly broadcasts your value or exposes your weaknesses. By showcasing the value that you have to offer potential employers, a well-organized resume outline can increase your chances of securing a job interview.
Formats
Before assembling your resume outline, you must first select the appropriate format. The chronological resume format emphasizes your past employment and is a good choice if you have a strong, stable work history. In contrast, the functional resume format highlights your applicable skills. This format may be effective if you have little to no experience, gaps in your work history or have frequently changed fields. The combination resume format places equal emphasis on your skills and your past employment. Consider choosing this format if you do not have extensive work experience or if you want to change careers.
Contents
There are several basic sections that every resume outline should contain. These include a job objective statement, a skills and qualifications section, a work history section and an education section. Your job objective statement should clearly and briefly indicate the job that you want. The skills section should list a few pertinent skills or achievements that summarize your overall career. The work history section should list your past employers along with a few brief accomplishments for each position. The education section should contain any college degrees you hold or training you received that relate to your primary job objective.
Additional Sections
In addition to the more standard sections, you may want to include sections on your resume outline if you feel that they demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the position. Use an awards section to list any awards or certificates you received that attest to your proficiency in the field. If you are a member of any industry-related organizations, adding a membership section can show that you are an active participant in your field. A computer skills section can be used to showcase your technical expertise.
Warning
When developing a resume outline, what you leave out is just as important as what you put in. Your outline should not mention salary or wages and should not include any information about your personal life. Also, try not to clutter your resume with unnecessary details. Leave off any superfluous information that does not directly relate to your job objective.
Member Comments