Tips on making a resume that really makes you...and your story...shine. Like any great story, crafting a resume has rules and best practices to really engage an audience. This presentation gives tips, best practices and tricks to making your audience stand up and listen. Want more tips and tricks - head over to www.resumemycareer.com.

1. HELPING YOU SHINE
Tips On Writing Resumes That Make You Shine (And Get Results)
Lauren Howe
www.resumemycareer.com
Flickr photo CC by Brandon Schauer

2. WHAT IS A RESUME?
It’s a story…about who you are, why you are special,
and why you are uniquely qualified for that job you
want. Like any story, YOUR STORY…must be told
well to earn you an audience.
Flickr photo CC by DaveBleasdale

3. SO, HOW DO YOU TELL YOUR
STORY WELL?
Like any great story, writing a resume takes crafting
and weaving together the story lines in a way that
KEEPS YOUR AUDIENCE ENGAGED and wanting
more.
Flickr photo CC by Sonny Abesamis

4. IT STARTS WITH A GREAT INTRO
Your intro (overview) must be compelling and INSTANTLY
HOOK THE READER…so he or she wants to keep reading.
Flickr photo CC by Beta-J

5. IT MATCHES YOU TO THE JOB
You shouldn’t make your audience have to work hard
to connect how your skills and experiences match to
those skills and experiences required for the job…
MAKE IT EASY and MAKE IT OBVIOUS.
Flickr photo CC by Jeff Turner

6. USE KEYWORDS
A good way to make your audience conclude that you are a
good candidate is to use some of the keywords and phrases in
your resume that are used in the job description. This requires
customizing your resume for each job…BUT, IT’S WORTH IT!
Flickr photo CC by Sophie ffrench-Constant

7. MAKE IT EASY AND
ENJOYABLE TO READ
Don’t get too fancy or cute…simply keep your format
EASY TO READ and ELEGANT.
Flickr photo CC by VenusPetrov

8. WATCH THE CLICHES
Be careful of being cliche…everybody uses words like
“innovative”, “creative”, and “results-oriented”. To stand out, you
need to use impact words, but ones that others might not be
using. Don’t get too fancy, but do PICK YOUR WORDS
CAREFULLY.
Flickr photo CC by Tom Newby

9. NO NEED TO INCLUDE THE
PERSONAL STUFF
Save space by not including your personal hobbies in your
resume. YOU CAN ALWAYS SHARE THOSE LATER, once you
get the interview (or the job).
Flickr photo CC by Elitist

10. PROOFREAD
Your audience will be immediately TURNED OFF IF YOU
HAVE ERRORS and typos in your resume - even just one can
mean the difference between getting an interview for your
dream job or not.
Flickr photo CC by Shannon Kringen

11. KEEP IT TO 1-2 PAGES
You don’t have to tell your whole story in your resume - just
enough to WIN YOU AN INTERVIEW. Resumes should be 1-2
pages, depending on how much work experience you have.
Flickr photo CC by mpclemens

12. MAKE IT EASY TO CONTACT YOU
Clearly include your main phone number and email address so
that you are EASY TO CONTACT. Also, be sure to keep your
email address professional - your audience will be turned off
by goofy, crude or odd email addresses.
Flickr photo CC by Dan Markeye

13. WRITE A COVER LETTER
You should ALWAYS WRITE A COVER LETTER, except if the
job description explicitly says to not write one. Yes, we are all
busy, but a cover letter is a great chance to introduce yourself
and highlight the most important points that make you the best
candidate.
Flickr photo CC by Daiju Azuma

14. HAVE FUN WITH IT
You should be professional and not over-do it, but that’s not to
say you shouldn’t have fun writing your resume. After all, a
great resume is all about telling a great story…do that and you
may just land your DREAM JOB:)
Flickr photo CC by Ben Askins

15. Want More?
visit www.resumemycareer.com
Flickr photo CC by Artur (RUS) Potosi