Many people find themselves out of work in the struggling economy. Sooner or later they say to themselves, “I need sample resumes. I can’t get a job interview.”
The truth is that a sample professional resume could be helpful. A careful search can find quality examples that are widely available on the web, but simply entering your information into a template won’t get you the results you’re looking for. More specific assistance is needed.
Here are some suggestions to help you get interviews.
First, gather as much information as you can about your work experience. Include your duties, skills, accomplishments, and accomplishments.
Here is a simple format to follow. Start by listing all the jobs you’ve ever had, leaving plenty of space between them. If you held different positions at the same company, please make a separate list for each.
Now, under each position, separately list the duties, skills, accomplishments, and accomplishments.
For example, if you were a manager, one of your roles might have been to oversee your team. The skill can be leadership or organization. An achievement could be the completion of a major project that helped a client. An achievement can be an honor or recognition that you have received from your company.
Second, reorganize your resume so that you can call attention to those areas that highlight the positive aspects of your career. Look at the items on your list that show how you will help a potential employer.
Resumes are often the way hiring decision makers are presented. You want them to see your best side. Make sure it’s not buried three quarters of the way down the page.
Third, tailor your resume so that your skills, achievements, and accomplishments match the requirements of the position you’re seeking. Be specific.
If a job description lists a need for organizational skills, prominently mention how you brought a fragmented department you oversaw to order. Describe how you did it and the positive results.
Details like that set your resume apart from others in the stack. They can be key ingredients in getting a job.
These steps will make it less likely that you’ll ever have to say, “I need sample resumes. I can’t get a job interview.”
