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10 Tips to Writing a Winning Résumé

Résumé. The word alone can be enough to strike fear in your heart and make employers’ eyes heavy with sleep. Typically not the most exciting things to read or write, résumés are a necessary evil…at least if you want a little something called a job. But take heart. Knowing a few insider hints and strategies can help you not only come up with a résumé you love, but one that employers are happy to read.

1. Figure out your job objective before writing your résumé.
Like many of the hints in this list, this one seems quite obvious. But you’d be surprised at how many people make the mistake of writing a résumé without knowing exactly, or even approximately, what they’re writing it for. Don’t expect an employer to figure out what it is you want to do if you can’t take the time to do it yourself.

2. Write a clear objective.
Ideally, your résumé should show why you are the perfect candidate for a specific job. The simplest way to make your case is with a clearly stated and well-thought-out objective. The biggest thing to keep in mind when formulating your objective is that an employer is interested in what you can do for them, not in what they can do for you. Stay away from objectives along the lines of: “I’m looking for a position where I can hone my management skills.” Wrong. Instead, go for something like: “Objective: A mid-level position in the marketing industry where a background in advertising and public relations is needed.” Phrased this way, you’re saying what you want—a mid-level position in marketing—as well as what skills you bring to the company—advertising and public relations.

3. Use the type of résumé that makes the most sense for you.
There are three main types of résumés, and each has its pros and cons.
Chronological résumés are the ones most people are familiar with. Work experience is listed in reverse chronological order, with a description of each job included under the employer’s name and the dates you worked there. This format is a great to show career growth. However, if your work history is a bit spotty—with periods of unemployment or short-term jobs—this format will only serve to accentuate that.
Functional résumés highlight your skills and accomplishments throughout your career. More so than a chronological résumé, a functional one helps potential employers see clearly what you can do for them. It is a great choice for those looking to change careers or for those with less-than-stellar employment records. The disadvantage is that it is hard for prospective employers to know exactly what you did in which job.
Combined résumés include elements from both chronological and functional résumés. The advantage of a combined résumé is obvious: it takes the best parts of each type. The disadvantage is that is can be difficult to fit everything on one or two pages.

4. Keep it short.
We don’t care if you’re the President of the United States or the founder of Microsoft, your résumé shouldn’t exceed two pages. A job offer often attracts between 100 and 1,000 résumés. Research shows each résumé gets approximately 10 to 20 seconds of a prospective employer’s time—they scan rather than read—and only one interview is granted for every 200 résumés. You need to make every line count. Think of it this way: More than one or two pages says you’re bogged down by details and can’t see the big picture. Not exactly the message you want to be sending out, is it?

5. Use your résumé as a marketing tool not a work history.
Your résumé has one purpose and one purpose alone: to win you an interview. And you get an interview by advertising yourself. Think of commercials or ads in magazines that get you to buy something. The winning ones don’t say what your buying the product will do for their company—increase profits—but what the product will do for you—get rid of headaches or soothe your stomach. It is a great mistake to think of your résumé as a history of your work life. You don’t need to go for the hard sell, but you do need to be comfortable with tooting your own horn.

6. Don’t write in paragraphs.
Since it is only getting a mere 10 to 20 seconds of a potential employer’s time, your résumé needs to be filled with action-packed bullet points that jump out when someone is scanning it. In a paragraph, nothing stands out.

7. Use action words.
Built, budgeted, brought, broadened, briefed, dealt, decided, defined, demonstrated, designed, developed, devised, drafted, tackled, targeted, taught, terminated, traveled, treated, trimmed, tripled, tutored. Use your imagination…and a thesaurus.

8. Have your résumé proofread.
Nothing spells résumé disaster more than typos, grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. An extra set of eyes looking over your résumé may not only catch such easy blunders, but also bullet points that don’t make sense or any achievements that might have slipped your mind.

9. Include a cover letter.
Keep it short and focused. Don’t repeat what you’ve already detailed in your fabulous résumé. Introduce yourself first and then summarize (briefly) why you are better for the position than anyone else. End by saying that you look forward to hearing from them soon and that you will follow up if necessary.

10. Don’t lie.
Even if you have no moral qualms about it, lying on a résumé never turns out well. Usually one lie snowballs into many lies and, before you know it, you can’t remember what you’ve said you can do. Better to state your qualifications as they are rather than turn your résumé into fiction.

BONUS TIP: Send your résumé out.

After spending so much time and effort on your résumé, don’t fall short on courage at the end. You’ve got unique skills and abilities, and the perfect job out there waiting for you. Every time you send your résumé out, you’re increasing your odds of getting an interview..