10 Resume Writing Tips to Get You Started

by Georgia Adamson Monday, June 13, 2011

Since 1991, Georgia Adamson has partnered with clients both locally and worldwide to present their qualifications compellingly to employers. As a career industry professional, she holds several certifications, including Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), Certified Career Management Coach (CCMC), Credentialed Career Master (CCM), and Job & Career Transition Coach (JTCT). She has also created and conducted workshops on resume writing and job interview tips for diverse audiences. Currently Georgia serves as a U.S. career advisor for the Going Global web site and writes articles for them on the theme of “U.S. Employment Exploration.” She is also listed as a career coach on the Quintessential Careers web site. In addition, she writes a weekly column, “Career Smarts,” for a local community newspaper.

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At some point, you may want or need the help of a professional resume writer, but if you haven't reached that point yet, here are some resume writing tips to begin the process for yourself:

• Tip #1: Identify the employer's key needs and focus on how you can meet them!

• Tip #2: Know what your career value is and emphasize the strongest points.

• Tip #3: Never lie and don’t exaggerate. It will come back to haunt you.

• Tip #4: Communicate a sense of direction and purpose.

• Tip #5: Incorporate the keywords appropriate to your chosen goal.

• Tip #6: Avoid vague generalities — specifics make a stronger impact.

• Tip #7: Use concrete examples based on the Challenge-Action-Result (CAR) concept.

• Tip #8: Choose conciseness over wordiness. Don’t try to tell your “life story.”

• Tip #9: Make the length suitable to your level of experience and your career field.

• Tip #10: Omit personal items such as hobbies, unless there’s a strong reason to include them.

“Bonus” tip: Proofread – proofread – proofread! Mistakes can kill your candidacy. You may think that people won't notice, but what if they do?