Resume Writing: Putting Together a Great Resume

Creating your career resume is a challenge for many people. Whether this is the first resume you've ever written, or you need to revise your current resume to reflect your new chosen field, it can be difficult figuring out what's important to include and what's better left out. Even if you've decided to hire a professional resume writer to help you create your resume, you still need to provide the appropriate information for the writer so that he or she can include it.

Step 1: Write out your career objective.

What type of job are you searching for, and in what field? State your objective clearly and simply, and try to use powerful language to convey what you mean.

Step 2: Outline your career history.

This step takes research. You may have to go through old paperwork and files, locate check stubs from former employers, or hunt for company details on the internet. Information you must provide:

• Official company name, city and state
• Title of your position (if you held multiple titles over time, list these out)
• Start date and completion date of your employment (If you still work there, you can say something like, "December 2003 to present)
• Job description - use bullet points to briefly describe your responsibilities for each position listed

Step 3: Detail your educational background.

Your future employer will want to know what if any degrees you hold, and from which educational institutions. If you are applying for a job that requires certified training or a license to practice, list these as well.

Step 4: Describe your skills.

Here is where you want to tell the hiring manager why you're the right person for the position. You can do this by explaining what skills and personal qualities you bring to the table. Your skills area can be broken up into categories, including job skills that pertain to the field you work in, and interpersonal skills, that will help the employer match your strengths to the company's needs for specific personal attributes.

Step 5: Cover your computer and technical proficiencies.

Run through your career history and try to remember every program you've ever used or received formal training to use, for each of your jobs. Even the most basic ones, like Microsoft Word or Outlook, or an obscurely named internal database program that people may not recognize, should be included here. Technical skills are highly sought after in today's career marketplace, so you'll want to be sure you describe yours in detail.

Depending on how much room you have left and also depending on the type of job you seek, you may wish to include clubs and organizations you belong to or other extracurricular activities you engage in on a regular basis. Again, this may or may not be relevant but it is a good way to demonstrate your personality and outside interests.

Now that you have the basis for your future resume, the next step is pulling the information together into a cohesive, attractive package that successfully markets your skills. If you'd like to speak to a professional career counselor about this or about other aspects of your career search, refer to the URL at the bottom of this article. Good luck!