Te`c~h f%re@k

Using the four R's of Research, Relevance, Reduction, and Refinement you can make a resume that gets you interviews!

RESEARCH: Learning as much as you can about a job/occupation/company can help you explain why you are the right person for this position. Reading the job description and company literature, speaking with someone who has this position, and visiting this company in person or on the web can give you an indication of the types of knowlege, skills, experience and personal attributes that will be valued in this position/organization. I suggest making a list as you are brainstorming ideas for your resume.
Knowlege: what you know that makes you the right person for this position

SKILLS: what you can do that makes you the right person for this position

EXPERIENCE: what you have done that fits in with this position

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES: what personality/physical qualities match you with this position

RELEVENCE: Now that you have an idea of what this employer is looking for and how you meet these expectations, it is important to ask yourself "Does every item on my resume demonstrate that I am a perfect fit for this job/company?" If you are refining an existing resume or creating a new one you want the language and content of this resume to reflect how well you match to this job/company.


REDUCTION: If you have created a resume that gives employers reasons to hire you, congratulate yourself, it can take a good amount of time and effort to make an effective resume.You should plan accordingly. I think of this in two steps:
Step 1: Get rid of those paragraphs. If you have written your resume in paragraph form it will be difficult for employers to scan it quickly for the information they need. I recommend using bullet pointed sentences that are not over one line long as these are easier for the reader to digest

Step 2: Challenge yourself to keep your resume to one page. Although there may be situations in which it is appropriate to have a resume that is over a page long, by shortening your resume you are ensuring that only your strongest information stays and you are making it easier on the reader. In general you don't have to explain every minute detail of your work experience or qualifications-that's what the interview is for.

REFINEMENT: Resumes never die. They can always be changed and edited, after all it's a long road to perfection. When you look at your resume ask yourself "what are it's strengths?" What are it's weaknesses?" Have others look at you resume and get feedback. Read articles and books on resume writing or attend resume writing workshops.

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