Tips on Preparing a Resume

Upon separation from the Marine Corps, individuals are required to attend a SEP's program to better prepare them for their military to civilian transition. Typically, these "required" courses are merely a pre-requisite to our release from government servitude, and may or may not be taken completely seriously by the eager Marine. It is simply another duty that we are obligated to perform, yet needless to say, it is the last. Myself included, was as anxious for freedom as the other devildogs, yet somehow I found an urge to remain coherent for one class in particular; Employee Resume's and Interviewing Techniques.

Fortunately, I listened and this course proved a great advantage over my fellow applicants competing for the position. In fact, this course provided such great insight I was offered 3 out of 3 jobs I interviewed for after separation. Now, I completely agree that the interview is the key in obtaining a well-earned position, and I have discussed tips for this in another article. However, I will start from the beginning and inform you how to draft a professional resume.

A resume needs to be short and to the point. You will want to highlight (not literally) all the respective experience and education that is relevant to the position you are applying for. You will want to show that you are flexible and well-rounded, but at the same time if you already have 2 full pages you may want to discard info that does not pertain. For instance, listing prior job experiences for a Marketing position should detail similar job descriptions in the same field. A high school job at Quizino's on the other hand, may be irrelevant unless it was your first/only job.

You will want to headline it with ALL your contact information and center it at the top:

Greg Seltz
8400 Address Lane
Las Vegas, NV 89014
P: 702-651-XXXX
E: Greg_Seltz@email.com

Leave a small margin after the contact info and describe the position that you are applying towards. Then begin a new paragraph with a brief description of your job history and what you are looking for in the open position (i.e. this regards duties and responsibilities, not compensation and vacation time). Now we will proceed into prior experience. I typically prefer the last 3, or most relevant 3, job descriptions. Each job will begin with your title and years of employment (i.e. May 2006 - May 2009) and a quick summary of what your main focus and responsibility was. I can not stress enough how great numbers are! For example, if you are applying for a Logistical Dispatch position, incorporating "Scheduled and monitored pickups for 100 less-than-truckload shipments" into your resume looks better than "I scheduled and watched shipments." Also notice how the correct summary begins with a verb. Forget pro-nouns such as I, You, etc; they involve personal attributes, we are looking for professional qualities.

Finally, we can close prior experience and begin our Education field. Include the highest level of education obtained, the institution, and the years enrolled. Also, any further certificates or training programs that relate can be sourced here. References should be the last thing. It is very important to provide correct, working information in case the employer decides to contact them. The referrals should be past employers or co-workers that were not considered a peer or less. There you have it! Look for my "Tips on Interviewing Techniques" for further tips. After all, a professional resume is great to have and will get your foot in the door; however, the interview will be the deciding factor and can close the deal!