Finance
Your Resume
There's More Than One Right Way
Resumé building can be a frustrating experience. There are so many different opinions on what makes a good resumé. Chances are if you ask 10 people about your resumé, you will get 10 different answers. The important thing to remember is not to worry about the small stuff. There is more than one way to create an effective resumé, as long as you follow a few simple principles.
Fact Versus Opinion
Your resumé should focus on the facts, such as where you worked, how long you were there, and what your title was. For each position you have held, list your duties and responsibilities. Separately, describe your accomplishments. Don't just say what you think your strengths are; show your strengths through your achievements. Include not only what your accomplishment was, but also how you did it. Your personal ability to make an impact is what employers are really looking for. Don't hesitate to sound off about your achievements, but remember to always be honest.
Resumé Don'ts:- Don't exaggerate or falsify your achievements. Somewhere in the process the truth always comes out, and a falsehood will effectively terminate that process.
- Don't indicate salary expectations, age, religion, or SIN on your resumé.
- Don't make spelling mistakes or use poor grammar. It shows a lack of seriousness about the position, or even worse, poor communication skills.
- Don't use too many tables or difficult formatting. You want to make your resumé easy to read through.
- Don't use coloured or textured paper, or include pictures. Your skills should be flashy enough without embellishment.
Simple Formatting, Please
WPCG's individual resumé format preference is chronological, but feel free to use functional formatting if you feel it is more appropriate. Functional formatting can be especially useful if you are trying to take your career in a new direction. However, you should still provide a chronological listing of your past positions. No matter what format, your resumé should use point form whenever possible. Point form makes the resumé easier to read and allows employers to assess your qualifications faster. If your information doesn't fit onto the page, then don't try to force it too much by shrinking text or playing with the margins. It makes the resumé crowded and harder to read.
The Basics
Make sure to account for any gaps in your career history, because anyone reading it will wonder. Describe what you were doing while you were not employed, such as volunteer work, education, or even that dream vacation. Also, if you have ever been employed on contract, make sure to state it.
With a short career history, keep the resumé short and sweet. With a longer work history, focus more on your recent experience and major accomplishments. Keep it relevant: If you are applying for a management position, then focus on your previous managerial or senior roles and keep your first job as a sales clerk out of it.