The most difficult part of writing a resume is actually putting pen to paper and beginning...Knowing how to begin writing a resume will save you a lot of time, frustration and give you a resume to ensure you get your foot in the door for an interview.
So let’s do this together step by step, it’s really quite simple…

Firstly, take some time to think about what it is that you want to do, the image that you want to portray and how your past experiences fit in with your goals.

Once you have a clear picture of these important points, putting them on paper is a lot easier.

Just follow these steps to get going...

Decide on which format you want to follow.

The four types of resumes are...

• Chronological
• Functional
• A Combination
• Curricula Vitae or (CV)

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There is no fixed rule as to which one you should or shouldn't choose so just select the one that you feel fits in best with your experience and are comfortable with.

The Chronological Resume presents information in a timeline approach.

The Functional Resume groups your work experience and skills into skill area or function

The Combination Resumes highlight your skills and experiences

The Curricula Vitaes (CV) offer a detailed account of your qualifications. There are only a few positions and industries that require them.

Want free resume samples? Just download this pdf: Resumes Cover Letters and Applications

Choosing your industry

Decide on the type of job that you want and then write it as a title on a piece of paper. What you write as your job objective does not necessarily have to appear in your resume.

It can sometimes be better to describe your professional goals in your cover letter because then you can customize the objective for each application. This is much better because it does not look as though you have just used a template.

Be specific when writing your objective statement for your resume. As an example "A financial Management position with an innovative corporation" is much more focused and energetic than "A position which utilizes my education and experience"

Taking Stock

Get several pieces of paper and then title them with the following headings for brainstorming.

• Education
• Activities
• Interests
• Work Experiences
• Honors and Awards
• Skills and Abilities

Now don't be to quick to think that you lack experience for the position. Keep in mind that the employer is thinking "Why should I speak with this person? How is He or she unique compared to the other candidates." With that in mind try and answer the questions under each heading.

Talk out loud about your overall career previous experience and job skills -- it really is helpful.

Don't get to caught up in the nitty gritty of every detail, but rather focus on the big-picture of your professional achievements and stay summary oriented. As you go through each experience and job keep asking yourself "What did i do?

Education

Always match your qualifications to the position you are applying for. List the schools you have attended, your major studies any exchange programs or off-campus study and major areas of study.

List your educational qualifications and any relevant training that relates to the job you are applying for.

Work experience

Be sure to put down all your job experiences, paid or unpaid.

Details are important here, so list your job responsibilities and skills that were required under each job. Using phrases from the actual job description is a good idea if you have them available.

What you do next is to make an inventory of all your successes. Look back at each of those jobs and fill in what you achieved in that job, in other words what you accomplished.(tasks completed by you that you received special recognition for or that you just felt proud of)

Write down any achievement that may help your potential employer see what you could do for their organization.

If you have access to actual specific figures of your achievements, support your statement with those. Numbers are always impressive.

Now you need to go back and use the information you have put down to write a powerful action statement that emphasizes the beneficial results for each job

Activities

This is where you now list your hobbies, groups and clubs that you belong to. This includes church, school activities, community involvement, organized groups, volunteer activities etc. Let your mind wonder over all the things that interest you from hobbies through travel to experiences and unique talents.

Skills and Abilities

If there are any things that you haven't covered that might seem trivial for the other headings, put them down here.

As you go through each section ask yourself the following questions

Are there items on this list that I feel a sense of pride about?

How could I make these things relate to the requirements of the job I am applying for?

Which of these items on my list reflect my personality and strengths?

Have any of these items been superseded by more recent experiences?

One very helpful tool which can assist you here is called ONet Online. This tool helps you find the right wording to describe skills applicable to a specific occupation.

It includes detailed information relating to what skills, knowledge and abilities required for almost every conceivable vocation.

Finally you are ready to start writing.

Now that you have all your reference material out of your head and onto paper, you need to go back to each list and highlight which items are relevant to the requirements of the position you are applying for.

This is very important, because remember, and never forget, your prospective employer is constantly asking him or herself…

“What can this candidate do for my organization”

You need to be ruthless here. Scratch out everything that is not relevant, even if it means entire jobs. Keep in mind the purpose of a resume is to get your foot in the door for an interview, not to be a concise recollection of your entire life.

If your work history is a long one then confine your list to the most recent jobs related to your current objective. The last five years are sufficient.

Be sure that your sentences are clear and concise.

Create complete and clear sentences from the remaining items on your list for each job experience. Group related items into one sentence in order to keep the sentences flowing, not short and choppy.

Remember that it is in your best interest that the recruiting person or potential employer remain awake while reading your resume. So keep your sentences positive, lively and energetic as possible. Use action words at the beginning of each sentence.

Now is the time to check that every word in every sentence contributes to the quality of the phrase.

If your are not good at using words that well, then ask a friend or member of your family to help you.

Most schools offer free resume writing services

Insert targeted keywords.

Inserting specific targeted keywords will help your resume to get noticed. These would include descriptive nouns and short phrases that would be used to find your qualifications when searched for in a resume data base.

Typically these would include skills, knowledge and talents required to do your job.

The actual job description would be the best source of these keywords. For more help with this you could go to Career InfoNet which has job descriptions on most industries.

These job descriptions are useful because almost every noun in these postings and advertisements are keywords used by employers when searching for potential candidates.

So be sure to use those words in your resume and include synonyms wherever you can. As an example, if you were searching for a public relations job, you would use the keyword phrase "communication skills" as well as "writing skills" and "writing experience".

Honesty and integrity are of paramount importance in a resume, so never include a keyword that does not represent your skills accurately.

Guess what...You're finished the hardest part -- Well done! Take a break… go on a world cruise to relax and refresh yourself before coming back to format your resume in a style that reflects your personality.

Ok, maybe it’s better you make a cup of your favorite drink then take a short walk before continuing. World cruises are not that great any way. Far cheaper to read a world atlas!

Your finished resume should be a finely tuned marketing tool that represents you efficiently and effectively with pride, clearly show-casing you and your professional abilities.

A resume like that would make any employer want to call you for an interview.

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