Your resume should be brief and concise – a long, wordy resume will put off someone who is already short on time. The purpose of your resume is to summarise your experience, knowledge and accomplishments and it should be no longer than three pages. Try to tell the employer exactly what you mean using the least possible amount of words. It’s important to firstly include the appropriate content, including:
Contact Details
Your name, address, telephone, and email address should all go at the top of your resume. Choose an email address that sounds professional, and do not mention personal characteristics such as age, height, and marital status.
Objective or Summary
An objective simply tells employers the type of work you want and should be kept short. Be specific about the job you want. For example: to obtain an entry-level position within a financial institution requiring strong analytical and organisational skills. Tailor your objective to each employer you target and every job you apply for.
Education
New graduates without a lot of work experience should list their educational information first. If you have extensive relevant work experience you can list it after the work experience section. Your most recent educational information should be listed first, and include your degree, major, institution attended and minor/concentration. Also don’t forget to mention academic honours.
Work Experience
Briefly give the employer an overview of work experience that has taught you skills. Include your work experience in reverse chronological order. Make the most of your experience – potential employers need to know what you have accomplished to have an idea of what you can do for them. You should include the title of position, the name of organisation. location of work, dates of employment, and a description of your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and achievements.
Other Information
Employers always want an insight into you as a person, particularly as you may have shared interests. You may want to add extra information at this point, such as key skills or competencies, leadership experience, volunteer work or participation in sporting activities or hobbies.
Referees
Always ask people if they are willing to act as a referee for you before you give their name to a potential employer. CBR Recruitment will always obtain your express permission to contact your referees so that you can give them advance warning they will be contacted.
Overall, when writing your resume don’t be vague in your explanations – describe tasks/responsibilities that can be measured objectively. Employers will feel more comfortable employing you if they can verify your accomplishments. It is also important to be honest. A falsified resume is easily spotted by an employer, if not immediately then during the interview process. To discuss your next career opportunity, please call CBR Recruitment on 02 6103 7000 or email: hello@CBRrecruitment.com.au
