You love the job description—the job sounds hot! So how do you get it? You target your resume to their requirements! Tell them about your skills and experience that fit the job description.

How do you get the attention of the person who hires you? Tell them what job you want, then tell them what (in your experience or skills) qualifies you for that position. Be brief and concise—make your resume no more than 1 page, and only include experience and skills that apply to the position you want.

At the top of the page, put your name, address, phone and e-mail address if you have it.

THE VERY NEXT LINE should state “Objective”, and then the title of the job for which you are applying. This is critical! Contrary to the fantasy some job-seekers have, hiring managers have no time to look at your skills and experience, and then place you in the appropriate position. What they want to know is what job you are applying for. If they don’t receive that information up front, your resume will go straight to the trash. This may sound harsh, but in today’s busy world of work, no one has the time to sift through the gravel looking for that one gold nugget.

The next section should be titled SKILLS. Briefly describe the skills (not necessarily work experience) that you have which will interest the employer. Some examples are: “Computer literate with WIN98/Office 2000,” “Ability to educate customer & negotiate win-win solutions to conflicts,” etc.

Be concise. If you cannot find the right words, hire someone to write the resume for you.

The next section should be titled EMPLOYMENT HISTORY. Put the dates worked on the left, starting with your last job. After the dates, list the name, address, and phone numbers of your employers. Under each employer, indicate your job title, and briefly describe your duties.

Under that, the next section may either be titled EDUCATION or ACHIEVEMENTS & AWARDS. You can have both if you have significant achievements you need to list that are work-related. What should be listed are any awards you received while working, such as “Salesperson of the Year,” “Employee of the Month,” etc. If you don’t have that much work experience, list what you’ve done in your volunteer or recreational activities, such as “reader for the blind,” “hiking leader for the Sierra Club,” etc.

Stay away from categories such as “Interests,” because if you list something others dislike, it could prejudice them against you!

Think of yourself as a package you are marketing to a potential buyer. The more attractive you look (and the more reader-friendly your resume is), the more likely they are to call you for an interview!

Scannable Resumes & E-mailing
Some companies are using scanners to screen resumes. While this removes the possibility of human error, it increases the likelihood of mis-reading. Use industry buzz-words and standard abbreviations when sending a resume that you think might be scanned. Unusual typeface fonts, underlining, boldface, italics, and colored paper can create problems for scanners. You can use all CAPS to indicate a field heading, such as “EMPLOYMENT HISTORY.”

E-mailing creates its own set of problems. Most employers’ e-mail systems want your resume pasted into the body of the e-mail message, with the job title for which you are applying as the subject heading.

Have someone read over your resume. Ask them if it’s clear and easy to read. If you show forethought and good organization in your resume, it will be more likely to be in the top of the pile than the bottom. Think of your resume as a one-page commercial for you, and make it compelling!