Resume Preparation – PART 2

March 30th, 2009 - 

Experience:

This is very tough for a graduate. You don’t have a lot of experience so what employers are looking for is experience that relates to the role you are applying for, so you really need to think laterally about what you’ve done in the past.

What you need is 3-4 previous work experiences with 4 bullet points in sentence format. In this part you really need to tailor the wording. You need to relate what you have done in the past to what the potential employer will be looking for. For example if a company is looking for someone with ‘Great communication skills and the ability to work proficiently in a team environment’ you need to give examples of when you have used your effective communication skills and team work and how it would be of benefit to the context of their business.

Achievements:

This is one of the most important things on your entire resume. Employers are looking for high achievers for their teams. People who show competitiveness and drive will stand out amongst the bunch.

You need to remember that Managing directors and CEO’s of companies are there to generate profit- increase sales/manage costs. They will be looking for people who can help achieve these goals within the organisation.

You need to think of anytime you’ve made it to the final few of something or anything that has required lengthy commitment. The sorts of things that you can include in this section are:

  • Duke of Edinburgh.
  • Being captain of a football team.
  • Making it to the Grand final of a sport.
  • Academic awards.
  • Exceeding sales targets.
  • Promotions in previous employment.

Remember for each role a company may be looking for completely different personality type. So make sure every time you apply for a job you tailor your resume by changing your Profile and Experience so it’s relevant to what they are looking for. Good Luck!

- Jarrod.

Resume Preparation – PART 1

March 23rd, 2009 - 

Today I am going to talk about ProGrad’s recommendations on how to structure your resume in the most effective manner. First off let’s talk about the title. I thought it would be fairly obvious to write ‘Resume’ at the top – It’s not. All you need is your full name.

Details: When it comes to the details a lot of people waste a lot space on their resume. All you really need in this part is your name, where you live, contact phone number and email address.

Profile: This is a very important part of the resume. In this section you need to analyse the job description and focus on the kind of person they are looking for. You need to tailor your resume to match the role and the person that they want for their organisation. If the role is for accounting and you have marketing plastered all over your resume you’re really going to diminish your chances of getting the position or even getting a first round interview interview.

Education: Education is a pre-requisite to get to the interview stage; the rest is about you as an individual, the personal attributes you possess and how they will be applied in a new business environment. At ProGrad we recommend all you need is 1 line – which University you went to, the dates you attended and what you majored in. Not every module you ever studied! (Unless specifically outlined in the job description).

In the next part of ‘preparing your resume’ I will be running through the ‘Experience’ and ‘Achievement’ sections – both of which are essential in making your resume stand out amongst the bunch!

- Jarrod