Your résumé is, possibly, the most important document you will ever write. It includes your job focus or objective, a brief history of your work experience highlighting your achievements and accomplishments, and documentation demonstrating your skills. Education, training and seminars are included as well as other successes such as the Military, Peace Corp, and Community Service.
When it comes to writing your own history, it can become difficult to promote yourself in the strongest light possible. A Personal Scribe is here to help you develop your own promotional composition to present you as the professional you are along with a personal touch. We design your résumé to your strengths and highlight your accomplishments and abilities. Résumé Help is, also, here to guide you through the process of what you need to collect to place on your résumé. Included below is a brief outline of the information needed:
• Name
• Complete Address
• Telephone
• Email address
• Job Focus or Objective
This is the place to be focused on what you specifically want to do. If you are unable to narrow it down to one specific area, list two or three of the areas in which you would like to work. For instance, Customer Service, Sales, Account Manager––all of these are areas you may enjoy and yet, to some extent, relate to each other. This allows you to be able to use the same résumé for various job applications. However, if possible, take the time to define and understand your own goals and get targeted about the position you want. It will give you a stronger résumé. In some cases more than résumé may be beneficial to your desires––focusing on one specific career with each résumé.
• Outstanding Accomplishments or Achievements
• Work History
In reverse order (most recent position first) list your job title, employer, city and state, and the years you were employed. Follow this with a brief description of your accomplishments and responsibilities using action verbs.
If you have a varied work history, you may want to break up your employment to show “Related Work History” and “Other Work History” and highlight the experience you have had relating to the position you want to land. The “Other” experience would be listed to support valuable skills you have learned during your career that will relate to your success.
• Military
• Community Service
• Licenses and Certifications
• Education
Under education, you will include your most recent training, including seminars and classes, and college degrees. Include the degree, the university/college, city and state, and the year received. With specialized training, include the course name, the entity that supplied the training, city and state, and the year in which it was taken. High school is not usually included on a professional résumé, however, vocational schools and community colleges are.
That’s it! When you have pulled all this information together, this is what you need to put together a “winning” résumé.
References are not included with the résumé. These are supplied on a separate sheet of paper and offered only if requested.
Accompanying your résumé should be a strong cover letter. The cover letter is a document that can assist in sellingyou to your potential new employer. A cover letter should refer to the company’s requested skills and demonstrate where your abilities can solve their needs. You need to do some homework on the company to which you’re applying, discuss their goals, and let them know you are not just there to collect a paycheck, but that you and your skills would be a strong benefit to the company’s bottom line. If you need help in putting together an effective cover letter, feel free to contact A Personal Scribe. We present you with a professional image and a personal touch.
~Rosie Bixel • A Personal Scribe Résumé Writing & Design
