Nursing Resume Sample
10 Tips For Writing A Winning Resume
Your resume (or curriculum vitae), combined with the cover letter, are the master keys to opening the prospective employer's mind and door so that you can proceed to the next step in the process - the big interview!
RESUME WRITING TIPS AND STRATEGIES
Here are 10 valuable tips for anyone writing their own resume, or who is having someone else write one for them. These tips and strategies are an abridged version of what is contained in my new eBook, "Instant Home Writing Kit".
1. Keep It Focused and Businesslike
A resume should be specific and all business. Don't try to be too smart or too cute. After all, you are asking an employer to invest significant time and money by choosing you over many other similarly qualified people. Employers mainly want to know whether you are appropriately qualified and experienced, and if you have the ability to "deliver the goods."
2. More Than Two Pages Is Too Much
For students, recent graduates, or people with just a few years of experience, try to keep your resume to one page, two as an absolute maximum. Even a resume for someone with 20 years or more of extensive working experience, should not exceed three pages. In some cases, one or two "optional" pages can be referred to as "available upon request." These would be such optional annexes as a list of references or an inventory of recent projects and/or publications.
3. Get The Words and Punctuation Right
Make sure the grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your resume are perfect. Any obvious mistakes will hurt your credibility. Also, be sure to keep the language clear and simple. If you draft it yourself, have someone with excellent writing skills do an editorial review and a careful proofread of it. If a professional prepares it for you, such reviews are the responsibility of the resume preparation firm. Use an accepted English language "style guide" if you want to be sure of the finer points of word usage, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations, etc.
4. Read Between The Lines
Customize the resume to match the stated requirements of the job that you are applying for, without being misleading. Review and analyze the job advertisement carefully. Look for and itemize the key qualifications, skills, and abilities the employer is seeking. Then identify certain key words that are usually repeated in such ads. Make sure that the wording and sequence of points in your resume reflect and address these "corporate terminologies" and "code words" as much as possible. When possible, study the company's annual report and Web site, and weave the themes and terms found there into your resume and cover letter.
5. Make Sure It Looks Good
Use a crisp, clean, simple presentation format for a professional looking resume. Just a bit of simple line work and/or shading, done with standard word processing software will do the trick. If you don't have the aptitude for this, there is most likely someone among your friends or in your office who can help you achieve a professional presentation. If not, seek professional advice. It won't cost much for a good simple layout, but it will make a world of difference to the product.
6. Show What You Can Do Today
Focus, first and foremost, on your recent experience that is most relevant to the position at hand. Less relevant and/or dated experience should be either eliminated or summarized in brief point form near the end of your resume. When reviewing your resume information, a prospective employer wants to know what you are doing now, what you have done recently, and how that relates to the job requirements of the post they are trying to fill.
7. Be A Straight-Shooter
Be completely honest. When people lie or "creatively exaggerate" on their resume, they are almost invariably exposed, sooner or later. Think about it - who really wants to get a job based on a lie(s) and then have to live in fear of eventually being found out? We often read in the newspaper about high-profile folks who get caught in a resume falsehood or exaggeration, and it isn't very pretty.
8. Follow The Instructions
Submit your resume in exactly the form that the prospective employer requests. If they say e-mail or fax is okay, do it that way. However, if they ask for it by regular mail, send it the way they ask. They must have reasons for requesting it in such a form and they are geared up to process it that way. If your resume is to be sent by snail mail, use the complete address that they specify, or it could go to the wrong office, especially in a large organization.
9. Don't Get Lost In The Mail
Be careful to respect certain conventions that the potential employer may require in your resume. For example, make sure that the cover letter mentions the exact name of the specific position you are applying for, and the competition number, if applicable. Sometimes an employer will request that the job title and/or number be printed on the outside of the envelope. You would not want to miss out on a job because you didn't follow minor administrative requirements.
10. Keep The Cover Short and Focused
In the cover letter, don't repeat what is already detailed in the body of the attached resume. It is a "cover" letter. It should be short and to the point. Introduce yourself first, and then briefly summarize why you believe that you have the qualifications and experience to fulfill the duties of the position better than anyone else. Express enthusiasm about the job and the company. Close by stating how you are looking forward to hearing more from them soon, and that you will follow-up if necessary.
The above list can be used as a "checklist" both during the preparation phase, and when reviewing your resume just before submission.
To see a fully-formatted "real-life template" of a resume, you can check out the following link:
http://writinghelp-central.com/resume-sample2.html
© 2005 by Shaun Fawcett
Shaun Fawcett, is webmaster of the popular writing help site WritingHelp-Central.com. He is also the author of several best selling "writing toolkit" eBooks. All of his eBooks and his internationally acclaimed f-r-e-e course, "Tips and Tricks For Writing Success" are available at his writing tools site: http://www.writinghelptools.com
MORE ARTICLES:
Business Book Released Just in Time for Out-of-Work Professionals
Release of Third Edition Book on Building a Resume Business Becomes Best Seller for Author in Light of Jobseekers' Continued Disappointment with Limited Employment Opportunities
Do You Need Help Writing Your Resume?
You probably already know that one of the main keys to getting a particular job is writing the resume which will make you stand out from everyone else, to the point where an employer will decide to hire you. However, some people do not have the most success when they try to write a resume on their own. Help writing resumes is hard to come by, if you do not know what you are looking for. Learn about some of the options that you have for getting help on your resume here.
Top 10 Resume Writing Tips to Get You the Interview
There are many reasons why you could be in the market
for a new job right now. Perhaps.
Effective Resume Writing That Projects Good Image
Effective resume writing is really about a perfect mix of clarity and impressiveness in the way we present our potentials Potentials themselves are often powerless to attract attention
Free Resume Template: The ONLY One Youll Ever Need
WARNING: This article is likely to make you mad.In fact, I'm pretty sure it will.
HiringHelper Provides Users Free Resume And Free Resume Critique For Construction Jobs
With construction employment down some 1,589,000 workers (-21%) since January 2007 (as reported by the AGC of America) HiringHelper (http://www.hiringhelper.com) offers free resume creation and free personal resume critique to those seeking construction work, whether a tradesman job or office, clerical or management roles.
Resume Writing Guide - 10 Guaranteed Tips to That Winning Resume or CV
This article is aimed at helping those of us who struggle constantly with writing that winning resume First of all, it is not the resume that gets you that dream job; that is down to YOU, the winning resume will only get you to the interview stage
Resume Writing - Get That Job
Looking for a new job, whether it is with a new company or a promotion within your own organisation, requires time and effort. To make your job search more effective you need to take five fundamental steps on the road to success:· Analysing your skills· Writing a winning Resume· Managing your job search· Coaching for interview success· Negotiating your job offerStep 1: Analysing your SkillsThe most crucial step in the job search process is to assess what skills you have to offer to your future boss.
Professional Resume Writing Services: The Good (Part I)
Before I begin, let me start by saying that I happen to be a certified professional resume writer (CPRW) and job search coach Iýve been writing resumes since 2002, both for myself as well as for larger resume writing firms
Resume Writing Tips
Resume Writing doesn't have to be a solo gigResume writing can be the bottleneck to advancements in your career. If you find yourself getting writer's block consider getting help.
Resume Software – Advantages Revealed
The various resume software offered, particularly on the internet, can seem very attractive to job seekers; especially to those not comfortable writing resumes. At first glance resume writing software can provide a number of perks and can appear to be the perfect solution to many job seekers.
Resume Writing: Tips to Choose the Right Format
Some people tend to think that resume writing follows a very distinct formula For instance, the resume format should be educational background placed in one specific section of a resume and work experience in another
Free Resume Template: Beware!
Downloading a free resume template can be so alluring. No work to do! You just download it, fill in the blanks, and get the job of your dreams!If you buy that, I've got lots of other things I'd like to sell you.
Electronic Resume Writing Tips That Boost Your Interview Appointment Success
Electronic Resume Writing Tips That Boost Your Interview Appointment SuccessBefore you write your resume in a word processor, print it, and hand out copies to prospective employers, you should consider formatting it for easy scanning and retrieval from a computer database.As you can imagine, dozens, maybe hundreds of resumes bombard employers for a position they would like filled.
All About Freelance Resume Writing Jobs
Resume writing may not seem difficult for a writer like you, but for the average person it can cause serious anxiety attacks Resumes are a job seeker's first impression at a potential new job ý so he wants to get it right
