Resumes are something that most, if not all of us, will have to write at some point in our life. Whether we write one for an advanced writing class at college, or for the first 'real' job we apply for, resumes are a reality that we cannot escape. So how can we make the most of what can be a tedious and painful experience?
The first step in writing a good resume is understanding the purpose of a resume. Resumes should not be looked at as something that wins us the job. Jobs almost always come as a result of the interview. Our resumes allow potential employers to stratify us among our peers. The resumes we write should interest them enough to get us an interview with the employer of our choice. Now that we know that resumes are written to catch the attention of an employer, how do we go about catching their attention?
One simple aspect of writing in that can help us score an interview with an employer is what professional writers refer to as "the rhetorical situation." That's a fancy way of understanding the purpose of writing (which, in this case, we just decided was presenting ourselves in such a way as to earn an interview with the employer) and to whom that writing is directed. When we understand to whom we write how we go about presenting information changes.
For example, if the company you're applying for cares deeply about the environment it may not be a good idea to emphasize information that would implicate you with people who flagrantly abuse the environment (or more importantly what that company would interpret as flagrant abuse). If you worked in a logging company as a financial officer you may have some explaining to do. Of course we should not lie about our lives, but how and what information we present in the resume can greatly affect our chances of getting an interview.
When listing that work experience focus on the specific skills that will help you with that particular job; in this way you can draw attention to what you learned in companies rather than identifying yourself with the values of a previous company that may clash with the current one. While previous job descriptions may not directly apply to the job you're currently seeking, you can highlight those skills you've gained that do apply e.g. organization, customer relations, interpersonal communication skills, etc.
Extract skills and present them in a more general way to show how they can apply to what you're hoping to do. You should, of course, always be specific about which job you are applying for.
Author Resource:-
Visual CV (http://www.visualcv.com/) offers free resume samples to help you advance your career. Art Gib is a freelance writer.
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