Allen Said:

Can you give me some tips on how to write a good resume?

We Answered:

1. Typos and Grammatical Errors

Your resume needs to be grammatically perfect. If it isn't, employers will read between the lines and draw not-so-flattering conclusions about you, like: "This person can't write," or "This person obviously doesn't care."

2. Lack of Specifics

Employers need to understand what you've done and accomplished. For example:

* Worked with employees in a restaurant setting.
* Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant with $2 million in annual sales.

Both of these phrases could describe the same person, but clearly the second one's details and specifics will more likely grab an employer's attention.

3. Attempting One Size Fits All

Whenever you try to develop a one-size-fits-all resume to send to all employers, you almost always end up with something employers will toss in the recycle bin. Employers want you to write a resume specifically for them. They expect you to clearly show how and why you fit the position in a specific organization.

4. Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments

It's easy to slip into a mode where you simply start listing job duties on your resume. For example:

* Attended group meetings and recorded minutes.
* Worked with children in a day-care setting.
* Updated departmental files.

Employers, however, don't care so much about what you've done as what you've accomplished in your various activities. They're looking for statements more like these:

* Used laptop computer to record weekly meeting minutes and compiled them in a Microsoft Word-based file for future organizational reference.
* Developed three daily activities for preschool-age children and prepared them for a 10-minute holiday program performance.
* Reorganized 10 years' worth of unwieldy files, making them easily accessible to department members.

5. Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short

Despite what you may read or hear, there are no real rules governing the length of your resume. Why? Because human beings, who have different preferences and expectations where resumes are concerned, will be reading it.

That doesn't mean you should start sending out five-page resumes, of course. Generally speaking, you usually need to limit yourself to a maximum of two pages. But don't feel you have to use two pages if one will do. Conversely, don't cut the meat out of your resume simply to make it conform to an arbitrary one-page standard.

6. A Bad Objective

Employers do read your resume's objective statement, but too often they plow through vague pufferies like, "Seeking a challenging position that offers professional growth." Give employers something specific and, more importantly, something that focuses on their needs as well as your own. Example: "A challenging entry-level marketing position that allows me to contribute my skills and experience in fund-raising for nonprofits."

7. No Action Verbs

Avoid using phrases like "responsible for." Instead, use action verbs: "Resolved user questions as part of an IT help desk serving 4,000 students and staff."

8. Leaving Off Important Information

You may be tempted, for example, to eliminate mention of the jobs you've taken to earn extra money for school. Typically, however, the soft skills you've gained from these experiences (e.g., work ethic, time management) are more important to employers than you might think.

9. Visually Too Busy

If your resume is wall-to-wall text featuring five different fonts, it will most likely give the employer a headache. So show your resume to several other people before sending it out. Do they find it visually attractive? If what you have is hard on the eyes, revise.

10. Incorrect Contact Information

I once worked with a student whose resume seemed incredibly strong, but he wasn't getting any bites from employers. So one day, I jokingly asked him if the phone number he'd listed on his resume was correct. It wasn't. Once he changed it, he started getting the calls he'd been expecting. Moral of the story: Double-check even the most minute, taken-for-granted details -- sooner rather than later.

Oscar Said:

How do I write a good resume? What kind of paper to use?

We Answered:

I would suggest a card stock type of paper, its thicker and sturdier then regular all purpose paper.

Below is a good resume outline to follow. You want your resume to be simple and too the point. No long drawn out written explanations.

http://computype.bizland.com/high_s5.gif

"Power" words to use on a resume

http://www.careerowlresources.ca/Resumes…

Leroy Said:

How do I write a good resume when I don't have any experience in that industry?

We Answered:

Even if you don't have any retail experience, you can highlight the experience you have as it relates to what you want to do. You can handle stressful situations in a quick and efficient manner, multi-task, deal calmly with irate people, etc.

Maxine Said:

How to write a good resume with no job experience?

We Answered:

there is no use for a resume w/o experience, you may as well simply fill out a job app....
if you have real education w/ real world use, you would only need to be submitting your educational credentials anyway.

Claire Said:

how do i write a good resume for a law position?

We Answered:

Internship would be best.

A decent objective would be something along the lines of this:

"I am seeking an internship position where I can gain better knowledge of the legal field while enhancing current skills."

If I were you, I'd get more specifics on the position available and work your resume from there. If you'd like help writing the resume, feel free to message me.

Armando Said:

How Exactly Do You Write A Good Resume/CV?

We Answered:

The first page has to be a cover letter,. Mention that this is an attept at getting xxx job. The second page should include education, work experiences, volunteer and references. Include at least three references (not your 17 y/o pal, use sokmeone like a priest). All experiences should be in reverse chronological order with dates listed. Start with what you are doing now and go as far back as pertinent. Finally a thank you to the people who have "taken the time to consider you for the job." Good luck.

Gregory Said:

How do you write a good resume without paying someone?

We Answered:

Look at two areas: Form and Substance. They are both important. The average amount of time a recruiter spends on a resume is less than 90 seconds. It should look good and professional. But the right form also makes important items jump out at the reader. You don't want your sub-par high school GPA to stand out more than your really interesting work experience from your last job. To make sure you have the right balance, you can bounce ideas off family or friends, hire a resume writer for a few hundred dollars, or (the best choice in my opinion), use a low-cost "resume builder" (see http://www.SpotMyResume.com for example) which prompts you at each step of writing the resume, and then creates a professional looking form in Word. Though not free, you can get a great looking resume for about $8 bucks.