Your Rsum: Your Ticket to Success

BY SHERWEEN JERRY PAUL V. SAQUING

WHAT IS A RSUM?

WRITTEN DOCUMENT THAT LISTS YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND. IT IS USED AS A MARKETING TOOL

INDIVIDUALS TO SECURE A NEW JOB, A PROMOTION, OR AN INCREASE IN SALARY. A TYPICAL RSUM CONTAINS A SUMMARY OF RELEVANT JOB EXPERIENCE AND

THE RSUM IS TYPICALLY THE FIRST ITEM THAT A POTENTIAL EMPLOYER ENCOUNTERS REGARDING THE JOB SEEKER AND IS TYPICALLY USED TO SCREEN APPLICANTS, OFTEN FOLLOWED BY AN INTERVIEW, WHEN SEEKING EMPLOYMENT.

IT IS A PERSONAL SUMMARY OF YOUR EXPERIENCES AND QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITION YOU ARE SEEKING.

OFTEN THE FIRST CONTACT YOU HAVE WITH EMPLOYERS IS YOUR RESUME.

IT INFORMS THEM OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, EDUCATIONAL AND PERSONAL BACKGROUND, WORK EXPERIENCE, AND INTERESTS.

YOUR RSUM TELLS AN EMPLOYER: - WHO YOU ARE. - WHAT YOU KNOW. - WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.

EXECUTIVES WERE ASKED, "IN YOUR OPINION, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS THE SINGLE MOST COMMON MISTAKE JOB SEEKERS MAKE ON THEIR RSUMS?" THEIR RESPONSES:

TYPOS OR GRAMMATICAL ERRORS 34%

INCLUDING TOO MUCH INFORMATION 22%

NOT LISTING ACHIEVEMENTS IN FORMER ROLES 17%

POOR LAYOUT AND/OR DESIGN 17%

INCLUDING TOO LITTLE INFORMATION 7%

OTHER/DON'T KNOW 3%

THERE ARE VARIOUS KINDS OF RSUMS: - FOR FIRST TIME APPLICANTS - FOR A NEW JOB - FOR PROMOTIONS - FOR A SALARY INCREASE

THE RSUM THAT CONCERNS US IS THAT FOR FIRST-TIME APPLICANTS.

Question:
HOW DOES A FIRST-TIME APPLICANT PREPARE A RSUM THAT WOULD IMPRESS A POTENTIAL EMPLOYER, MAKING HIM CHOOSE HIM OVER OTHER MORE SEASONED EMPLOYEES?

Tips

USE TITLES OR HEADINGS THAT MATCH THE JOBS YOU WANT. If the vacancy is for a Staff Nurse, apply for the position, indicating that you are qualified for it.

USE DESIGN THAT GRABS ATTENTION. If youre applying as a graphic artist, your rsum should be a bit artistic. But when you are applying for a post in an accounting firm, your rsum should be more formal than that of a graphic artists.

CREATE CONTENT THAT SELLS.

The rsums content should be attractive that it would be difficult for the employer to refuse you.

QUANTIFY AND USE POWER WORDS. Use numbers to stress a point, if needed. Power words are expressions used to emphasize your strengths.

SOME POWER WORDS: Added Administered Analyzed Documented Measured Observed Operated Ordered Organized Stapled Studied Supervised Taught Tested Traced Trained Transmitted Verified Washed Wrote Developed Devised Directed Maintained Shot Sold Solved Sponsored Spread Calculated compiled Conducted Constructed Coordinated Created Debugged Delivered Demonstrated Designed Developed Investigated Laid-out Leveled Saved Assembled Assisted Attained Bought Built Evaluated Explored Fabricated Filed Hammered Implemented Improved Increased Initiated Installed Invented Researched Restored Revised Applied Drafted Drew Earned Edited Established Performed Planned Planted Prepared Produced Programmed Provided Purchased Remodeled Repaired Reported

ANALYZE ADS AND JOB DESCRIPTIONS TO IDENTIFY KEY WORDS. Copy words from the ads, or at least use synonyms.

IDENTIFY AND SOLVE EMPLOYER'S HIDDEN NEEDS. Know the company. Attack it, know its weaknesses, and present yourself as the solution.

SELL THE BENEFITS OF YOUR SKILLS. Let your employer see beyond the paper.

CREATE AN IMAGE THAT MATCHES THE SALARY YOU WANT. A cheap rsum deserves a cheap salary.

PRIORITIZE THE CONTENT OF YOUR RESUME. When you have so many qualifications, learn how to sieve and prioritize.

TWEAK AND TARGET YOUR RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS. Adjust your rsum's content to the needs of different companies. Do not submit a generic rsum.

REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL RSUM A reverse chronological rsum enumerates a candidate's job experiences in reverse chronological order, generally covering the last 10 to 15 years.

The reverse chronological rsum format is the most commonly used by those who are not professional rsum writers. In using this format, the main body of the document becomes the Professional Experience section, starting from the most recent experience going chronologically backwards through a succession of previous experience.

The reverse chronological rsum works to build credibility through experience gained, while illustrating career growth over time and filling all gaps in a career trajectory.

A chronological rsum is not recommended in the event that the job seeker has gaps in their career summary.

FUNCTIONAL RSUM A functional rsum lists work experience and skills sorted by skill area or job function.

The functional rsum is used to assert a focus to skills that are specific to the type of position being sought. This format directly emphasizes specific professional capabilities and utilizes experience summaries as its primary means of communicating professional competency.

In contrast, the chronological rsum format will briefly highlight these competencies prior to presenting a comprehensive timeline of career growth via reverse-chronological listing with most recent experience listed first.

The functional rsum works well for those making a career change, having a varied work history and with little work experience. A functional rsum is also preferred for applications to jobs that require a very specific skill set or clearly defined personality traits.

A functional rsum is a good method for highlighting particular skills or experience, especially when those particular skills or experience may have derived from a role which was held some time ago. Rather than focus on the length of time that has passed, the functional rsum allows the reader to identify those skills quickly.

The functional rsum works well for those making a career change, having a varied work history and with little work experience. A functional rsum is also preferred for applications to jobs that require a very specific skill set or clearly defined personality traits.

INTERVIEW SKILLS

What you see is what you get.

GROOMING DRESS CODE

LANGUAGE

GESTURES

EYE CONTACT

COMMUNICATION FLOW Who speaks first?

AUTOAUTO-SALESMAN

TIME FRAME

TIME FRAME

HOW MUCH?

WHO CONCLUDES?

PLEASE. THANK YOU. (I AM SORRY.)

GOODBYE.