How to Write a Better Interview Grabbing Resume

Resume writing is a great way to document your 'employability' or to check how well you are progressing with the ‘commercial’ realities of what you have to offer to either your current employer or any potential employer. You should update your ‘personal balance sheet’ at least once a year. A good time to do this is at annual performance appraisal time when competency issues are being scrutinised.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• A little time and self refleation
• A printer attached to your computer

1. Consider the format you are going yo use. The most acceptable seems to be: 1) INTRODUCTION, 2) FUNCTIONAL SKILLS/COMPETENCIES, 3) EMPLOYMENT HISTORY, 4) SCOPE OF POSITIONS HELD, 5) PERSONAL DETAILS (a sample with helpful positive statement examples can be found at http://www.orglearn.org/Resumes/resume_form.htm - see link in resources below)
2. Spend time writing a short two or three paragraphs in the third person about yourself to be used in the introduction. By third person I mean if your name is say Harry Potter you would stat out with something like, "Harry Potter is the worlds most famous young wizard".... etc. Using third person stops the boastful sounding 'I am' problem and gives the statements credibility because it sounds like someone else has been singing your praises. (examples see resources link)
3. List all the things your are good at at work "competences", list the date and time you have spent with different employers and and list the kinds of things you were required to do in those jobs (Scope of Positions Held)
4. List down for inclusion your personal details.
   DATE OF BIRTH, NATIONALITY, MARITAL STATUS, HEALTH, INTERESTS, EDUCATION, FORMAL TRAINING: (you can also add here AWARDS and/or RESEARCH), REFERENCES, CONTACT DETAILS, PHOTO

Tips & Warnings

• The first ten words you write must grab the interest of the reader, a bit like a newspaper headline.
• If you don't stimulate interest in your introduction busy and selective employers will go to the next applicant.
• If your resume is more than three pages long those same reviewers will become bored and disinterested.