Some Tips on Creating a Great Resume

In my career I've had the opportunity to review hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes (also known as "CVs"). I'm convinced that a lot of job seekers don't really understand what goes on in the mind of those reviewing a resume. When a job is posted by any company, often dozens or hundreds of people apply for it. The company can't possibly interview every single person so they have to find a way to narrow down the list of applicants.

To this end there are a few simple things you can do to heighten your chances of getting into the "We want to meet this person!" pile. Similarly, there are a few obvious things that will almost certainly get you into the "Rejected" pile. I offer the following, not so much as the definitive guide to applying for a job, but more of an initial primer, which will hopefully get discussed and improved over time.

General Tips

• Ensure there are NO spelling mistakes and no grammatical errors. If you're not a good writer then pay someone else to help you! However you create your resume and cover letter, get someone else to carefully proofread them. Make no mistake that an application full of careless errors just tells the employer what you'll be like working for them; actually, they assume you'll be worse because when you're applying for a job you should be on your very best, most diligent behaviour!
  
• Every application needs a personalized cover letter. You can write a generic one first and then customize it for each job you're applying for but if you don't bother with a cover letter applicable to the job at hand then you're telling the employer that you're really not that serious about working there.
• Many people I know have several different resumes, each designed to reflect their professional histories in a different way. For example, my background includes both mining engineering and software development and so I'm qualified to apply for both professions. But the resumes for each would be completely different.
  
• Since most jobs are applied for via e-mail these days, help out the employer by using a simple naming convention as shown below. They will appreciate this and it can only help your chances:
• Smith, John - Resume.doc
• Smith, John - Cover Letter.doc
• Your resume should be straightforward, well organized, and concise. More than anything, the person reading your resume doesn't have a lot of free time. So don't make their job more difficult. Your cover letter can be more "flowery" than the resume. More than anything it should explain why you would be an excellent candidate for the job and possibly better than any other applicant. Be careful with the latter approach though because no one thinks fondly of an arrogant person, especially one they don't know.

Resume Format
There's no "one" best way to put together a resume but here are some suggestions to create a good one. Incidentally, some say that every resume must be just 1 page long. I don't agree with this. As long as the experience is relevant to the job at hand then it likely should be included. I'm comfortable reading resumes 1 to 3 pages long.

• Introduction
  
• Your Name
• Contact Info including your E-mail address (If you don't have one, get one!)
  
• Photo (optional, but generally a good idea, especially if you're photogenic)
• Occupation or Objective
• Specialization (optional)
• Professional Profile (optional)
• Personal Profile (optional)
• Work Experience (one section for each relevant job)
  
• Dates
• Company
• Location(s)
• Description
• Related Experience (optional)
• Education & Training (one section for each relevant item)
  
• Dates
• School
• Minor Description of Accomplishments
• Volunteer Work (optional)
  
• Other Skills
• Languages
• Computer Skills
• Other
• Memberships (optional)
• Personal Interests (optional)

I hope this helps. Please do leave any comments and questions. I'll improve what I've written here if any good gems are provided! And for a more humorous look at reviewing applications, read this!