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Writing a resume for success

Writing a decent resume isn't about writing the Great American Novel. True, it is the first impression a potential employer will receive of you, and a resume can essentially be considered your calling card, so you want it to be the best it can be, to land the job you're applying for. Despite the formalities associated with writing a resume, the format can be broken down into a few simple elements that, when examined closely, will make you wonder why you were so apprehensive about the process in the first place.

The first thing you can do for your resume is limit the length to one page, so as to hold the attention of your potential employer. In our fast-past world, attention spans are short, and you don't want anyone growing bored with a resume that stretches on and on.

Start with the simplest part - the heading. At the top of your resume example, you should clearly indicate your name. Below your name should be your address and contact information, namely your telephone number and e-mail address. Make sure it's clear where an employer can reach you, otherwise you'll never get that call for an interview.

After the header, the task of writing a resume becomes a lot harder, as you've reached the point where you need to indicate your objective - namely the position you're applying for. Make sure you use the exact words that your potential employer used in his employment offer for the desired position, so that there's no mistake what you're aiming for. Never put your objective as being money or other such similar tactless things. You want to maintain your professional appearance at all times. Continuing onward from your objective and for the remainder of your resume, you'll want to present each bit of information in a bullet-point form; a short but concise sentence that imparts all the information you want to mention in one to three lines.

The third section is your work history, where you list your past jobs and any major achievements you accomplished while employed at various businesses. If you're new to the job market, you'll probably want to include as much as possible. In general though, if you can't fit the entire resume on a single page, start cutting items from this section and focus on previous employment experience with the most relevance to the position you're applying for. You need not limit this section entirely to employment though. Volunteer work, business ownership, independent sale of your work, and other experiences showcasing your abilities can be listed in this section. Understanding how to write a resume makes this easier.

The fourth and final section of a resume example is your education. As with work history, relevance to the position you want counts, if the one-page limit requires you to cut certain items from your resume. Focus on the most pertinent education you have that could relate to the position you'd like to land, or highlight special training you've received that makes you an attractive asset to the company.

All that's left once you've completed the four sections is editing and formatting your resume example to have it appear as professional as possible. While a typo may not always mean the difference between life and death, it can lower a potential employer's opinion of you, so be sure everything on your resume is correct. If possible, try running the text past some else to check for your mistakes. Once that's done, all you have to do is send it off to a potential employer and hope for the best.