Your resume should look as professional as possible.
This is the first impression that a prospective employer or an agency has of you.
The more organised and professional a resume presents the better the the impression you will make.
Resumes should be neat and attractively presented as it is representing you.
They should be typed. A resume should have no mistakes, grammar mistakes and the presentation should be spot on.
If necessary pay for a professional resume service if you are aiming to obtain the best job and you don’t have the confidence you can present it correctly.
Take plenty of time preparing it, and remember to update it every time you change jobs or gain a new qualification or experience.
Resumes should contain
- Personal details: This should include your name (and any previous name/s), address, phone number, email address.
- Career objective. This is a short paragraph that encapsulates you and your professionalism.
- Include your skills and demonstrated abilities with examples relevant to the position you are applying for.
- Include what the responsibilities were in your previous positions. It may seem self explanatory to you but it is vital to demonstrate your role and skill level.
- Education and qualifications: You should list the names and addresses of the schools and colleges that you attended, with the dates that you were there and the qualifications gained. Add any further qualifications that you have such as certificates, First Aid qualifications, and the date you gained it separately.
- Experience: This is where you put your previous employment, any college placements, or other relevant experience, successes. Starting with the most recent, include: start and finishing date; the age and number of children that you were caring for; a brief summary of your duties; etc.
- References: You should supply the names and contact details of at least three references. You should note who they are such as a past employer. You can ask staff members or parents from your placements or teachers if you are newly qualified.
- Other important information such as relevant in-services or certificates.
Resume preparation and presentation
- Keep your CV as concise as possible. Try to make it short and to the point but packed with relevant information to display you as a perfect candidate for the applying position.
- Produce a document that is clear, uncluttered and easy to read.
- Don’t use a fancy font – keep it plain.
- If possible, produce your CV on a personal computer. Then you can save it and update it regularly. It also looks more professional. Don’t forget to check for spelling mistakes.
- The challenge is to apply all the ‘ recommended’ guidelines and the success of others or your previous applications and adapt it to your own circumstances at the time.
- You can’t please all employers with the same resume. What one is looking for another may not find it as their cup of tea so here are some more tips on doing your resume.
- Actually writing a professional resume can not only be time consuming, it can be daunting but don’t let this stop you from attempting it.
- A resume is to be succinct- a summary of experience, qualifications, etc.
A resume has two primary purposes:
- To get you through the door.
- Get you the job offer you were looking for and believe you deserve. In order to complete a winning resume you need to clear out the idea of what an ‘old’ resume looked like and think differently. Different circumstances and job applications require different versions of your resume.
Points to consider
- Sell yourself- it is your personal advertisement. An effective resume takes into account who will be on the receiving end- who is going to be reading it. Remember it needs to be succinct and hard hitting but honest.
- Think outside the box- depending upon who you are applying to. Obviously, your resume will be different if you are applying to a large organisation as opposed to if you were applying to a family. How you present your resume comes down to your own choice really.
- You don’t always need to have a cover letter but we recommend it. It shows that you are serious about your profession and will add to the complete package and clarify experience, qualifications, skills and provides the opportunity to further demonstrate your suitability for the position as well as meet any position criterion .
- Use good envelopes and paper.
- Use a font that is easy to read as fancy types aren’t always present clearly. A good size to have the font is between 10-12 and the headings 14-16. The headings are best in capital letters.
- Using a border is your own preference. It is not either a good or a bad thing not to have them.
- Try to keep the resume 1-2 pages long. Senior executives generally have their resumes 2-3 pages, but whatever it takes to state your qualifications and experience especially.