A Walk in the Park – Resumes Made Easy

“Some people succeed because they are destined to, but most people succeed because they are determined to.” – Author Unknown

When I’m hiring for a position, I like to read candidates’ resumes from the back page forward (assuming a chronological resume format). This allow me to get a feel for their education and progressive work experience. Of course, every hiring manager is different and may have different preferences in terms of format. Much of what (should) drive the use of a specific resume format is the person’s experience and type of job. There are four major basic formats (and probably hundreds of variations) – chronological, functional, combination, or targeted. The descriptions and potential uses are covered in the first bullet point below. In addition to format, content and writing style are important as well. More important than any of the items mentioned is that your resume be error free (misspellings, typos, etc.) and accurate (as in don’t try to “fudge” the dates, companies you worked for or period of time you worked). Putting all of this together into a resume that will get you hired can be a daunting task to say the least. Luckily, tons of resources (free as well as paid) are available on the internet to help you with this. A few of them are listed below.

Resume Formats:

• Resume Types: Chronological, Functional, Combination, Targeted – This article is from About.com and provides descriptions of each of the four major resume formats along with details on when they are typically used. There is also a description of a “mini resume” and links to resume writing, resume examples and related articles.

• What Resume Format is Best for You? – What exactly does “format” mean and what is the real purpose of a resume? This article, from Quintcareers.com, provides answers to those questions as well as key attributes of a resume. Also included is additional information on the various types of resumes and some discussion as to whether you should have more than one format/version.

Resume Templates and Support:

• Resumesimo.com – This site is a resume service (free, by the way) that will help you create a professional resume quickly. The service is fairly simple to use – select a template, fill in your data and you are on your way. Click ‘Get Started’ and the rest is self explanatory.

• Sample Resume – This site also provides free templates and a free resume builder. There are tabs at the top of the page for templates, builder, examples and samples. The left hand side of the page has links for samples by type of job, writing services as well as additional related links (like cover letters).

• How to Write a Targeted Resume – So what, exactly, is a targeted resume? A targeted resume is designed for a specific job where you feel your skill set and experience is perfectly matched. This article by Alison Doyle and posted on About.com, explains how to write a targeted resume and provides an example. There are additional links for a targeted cover letter and other related services.

Good luck in your search.

Author Byline: CareerAlley
Author Website: http://CareerAlley.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.