It has been well established that your resume is the single most important document when applying for positions. This document will initially represent yourself to a potential employer and can impact on your potential for interview and employment. Getting your resume right can make a significant difference in your success in this process.
1. Presentation: A number of common errors are made when presenting your resume to an employer. These generally relate to an overly complicated resume or a resume that lacks any structure at all. The important components to presenting a resume include a clear statement of name, address and contact details, subject headings, bullet points for duties / skills and minimal formatting. As a general rule you will be employed based on the content presented. However if your presentation prevents this content from being easily read or understood this will be a problem.
2. Irrelevant Information: The information you present to an employer must be relevant, clear and concise. An employer is interested in your capability to complete the work required. In general an employer is not interested in what you do in your spare time or your personal interests unless it relates to the position. The duty statements provided as part of your employment history should be short, concise and relevant to the position. Too much detail can add unnecessary length to your resume while oversimplifying descriptions will not provide sufficient information on your experience.
3. Length: The exact length of a resume is often a vigorously discussed and debated topic. Each employer, recruiter or human resource officer will have an individual opinion on how long your resume should be. You need to be satisfied that the information presented to an employer accurately reflects your capabilities, skills and experience. On the majority of occasions a one page resume will not provide sufficient information for the employer to make a decision on your capability. Alternatively providing 10 pages with extensive lists of duties and skills will often result in boredom on the part of an employer. It is important that you find a balance between providing enough information that informs employers yet prevents excessive content.
4. Personal Information: There is some debate on the inclusion of personal information. Individual locations and countries have specific laws and legislation that prevent discrimination based on factors such as age, marital status, gender, disability, culture or other similar attributes. However some schools of thought indicate that indicating your marital status and length of time in a particular community can demonstrate stability. An employer should be focused on your capability to complete a specific task required of the position. Employment under these conditions is called merit-based assessment. On the majority of occasions including personal information of this nature is irrelevant and unnecessary.
The document you present to an employer should be professional, clear, concise and relevant. This information is required to make an assessment of your capability to meet the requirements of this position. Your ability to present this information in a format and manner that is attractive to employers and is easy to understand will increase your capacity for success.
John Matthews from The Writing Wizards has assisted more than 10,000 clients seeking employment for over 10 years. This has been through preparing professional resumes, Government applications and interview coaching across all industries.
Maximise your chances of success and engage a professional. Visit our website and find a full range of services, information, tips and free downloads: The Writing Wizards page http://www.writingwizards.com.au/
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