Your Resume/CV is not just a reflection of your educational background or the multinational companies that you have worked for. It is a precursor that tells prospective employers what you can offer them and if you don't have what they want then expect your resume to be tossed in the trash.
The fact is, it's a matter of wording. Do not sell yourself short but also try not to embellish too much. Emphasize how YOU increased company performance and profits with YOUR hard or soft skills and how you can do the same or better for the perspective employee.
Resume writing can be made quite simple by asking yourself these questions and answering them to the best of your ability:
What can you do to ameliorate the company?
How has your previous skills, knowledge and education been an asset in the past?
If you can accurately answer those questions in a page or two then congratulations, you have just created the resume that your prospective employer will hold on to.
“What can you do to elevate the company? By answering that you could have just landed the job of a lifetime.”
First of all, you should limit your resume to a page or two. Employers and Hiring Managers really don't have the time to read through a dissertation. Now let's look at the different sections of a resume.
The Summary
When writing your CV summary, leave yourself out of it. Really! Stick to writing in third person. It should highlight what you do. Are you an experienced teacher or manager? Well why not start out saying just that. Say what you specialized in and the impact you have had and how you were able to do so in terms of your skills and approach. What kind of employee are you? Do you like to take the initiative? Do you work well in teams? Are you driven?
Example:
An accomplished and focused Project Management expert specializing in driving profitable growth in complex and competitive sectors through proactive business and project development. Adopts a consultative approach to ensure specific client requirements are met whilst focusing on exceeding their expectations for service quality. An innovative project coordinator who has successfully managed major projects that have enhanced company impact and visibility...
You get the idea.
Key Achievements and Responsibilities
Now this part is really important so take notes. When you write about your previous experience it is essential that you highlight your achievements and responsibilities. But not in any old way. No employer wants to hear your endless task-oriented achievements. They want to hear the result-oriented ones. This means that you should stay away from writing things like: managed the various departments, completed tasks that ensured productivity, ensured that XYZ was done... who cares?
Instead say how what you did impacted the company and created growth or increased efficiency. It should sound something like this:
Improved client-company relationship by ensuring that...
Increased office productivity by coordinating projects...
Increased profitability and customer satisfaction...
Drove sales by 50% ...
Launched company website that...
Pioneered new hire mentor ...
Jump-started stalled insurance claims...
Tips
Do not include your photo on your resume
Do you use Grammarly to proofread your resume
Ask relevant questions regarding organizational culture, areas for growth and opportunity for improvement
If you are no longer working at the company where you gained your experience, be sure to write in the past tense but if it is your current organization then keep it in the present tense.
Let's see, what else? Hmm, that's about it. You don't need to be a genius to write a CV that essentially sells yourself. These are sure-shot ways to help you move on to the next phase of the hiring process.
Find more study tips by going to our study tips category. Like, comment and share for more content like this! Stay tuned for the next blog on a review of the University of the People MBA Program.
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