Your Resume: Seven Questions Your Resume Needs to Answer So You Get the Job
Your resume is your 20-second commercial on why an employer should hire you. Answer these seven questions to show the employer you can add value to his business or organization.
Writing Your Resume
Make your resume show that you are worth a second look. Give the employer the basic information he needs. Give him reason to want to hire you! The answers to these seven questions can do that.
Why should the employer hire you?
What are you good at doing?
What are three of your recent, relevant accomplishments?
What are three of your relevant work experiences that show you can do the job?
What qualifies you for this position?
What have you been doing the past year?
Who are you and how does an employer reach you?
Then, proofread it. Correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Make it easy to read. That's all. If an employer wants to know where you went to high school 40 years ago, he'll ask. If he wants to know every job you've had in the last 30 years, he'll ask. You don't need to include all that info. Really. Don't. Your resume gets a glance. A quick glance. Something has to stand out -- or you get nixed. If there's something compelling, it may get skimmed. If not, it gets stashed in a drawer, lost on a desk pile, or flipped into the trash. Read? It better pull in a potential employer. It better tell the potential employer why you are the one for the job. Really, even before that, that 20-second glance needs to tell the employer there's reason to take a second look. Based on the resumes I've been reading, this may come as a shock: The purpose of your resume is not to tell employers what you want. It's not to stroke your ego. It isn't supposed to be your life history. And, it isn't a place to play up your faults and lack of experience. It is not the place to share your desperation. The answer to question number one, about why the employer should hire you, should address his needs -- not yours. If you are applying for a job that has little or no competition, this is still the resume to use. It skips beating around the bush and gets to the nitty-gritty. When your resume immediately gives the employer the information he needs, it can result in an immediate job offer for working RVers.