It is difficult to write a resume. Most of us are not “born salesmen.” Just mentioning the word “sales” usually sends a shiver of fear down our spines. Add to this the fact that we’re taught from childhood that it’s not polite to brag about ourselves, it’s no wonder that when asked to “sell yourself” on a resume, you freeze like a deer in the headlights.

So instead of panicking, let’s break down a resume piece by piece and explain how to write an effective resume. Hopefully this takes some of the fear out of “selling yourself” on paper.

BASICS OF THE RESUME (what every resume SHOULD have)
Your name, address and phone number (obviously). But also your email address.

Email addresses are where most people tend to go wrong. I have a friend with an email address called “1hottiger” (a hot tiger). While this may be cute among friends, to a potential employer it shows bad taste and a lack of maturity (since he’s over 40). If you don’t have a professional-sounding email, create a new one just for your job search. You can get free email addresses at Google, Yahoo, or Hotmail.

Example of an INCORRECT email address:
ImAPartyGirl@email dot com
JennysMom@email dot com
2Hot2Handle@email dot com
 
Example of a GOOD email address:
MaryMartin@email dot com
M.Martin@email dot com
Mary.A.Martin@email dot com
 
STYLE
When writing a resume, avoid using fancy fonts or colored ink. This just makes you look immature. Also, statistics show that if someone has to struggle to read something, they won’t. Which means your resume is guaranteed to hit the trash faster than most if you use a script font.

When to use a goal over a summary
 
The mission statement
An objective statement is for people who are just starting out or changing careers. Your resume should state the job and field you want (engineering, for example) and show that you have the skills or education (if not the employment history) for the position.

When writing your resume, be sure to use “action words” in your mission statement. Just as they sound, they convey that you are a person willing to get to work and give your best. You must indicate your skills, your desires and what you want to do FOR the employer.

The WRONG way to set a goal:

I am looking for a position with a dynamic company that recognizes and utilizes my talents. I am looking for a company that promotes from within and recognizes and rewards hard work and talent.

This statement is all about YOU. You do not give the prospective employer any information about you that will make you stand out from the crowd. When writing your resume try to think from where you stand. They want someone to come in and work hard to make them money. As you do?

The RIGHT way to set a goal:

Apply my knowledge gained through my Master’s in Graphic Design and internship at ABC Advertising Company to an entry-level position in the art and marketing department of a major magazine.

the summary statement
A summary statement is for people who have been working for a while. “Summarize” their skills and positions using strong “action words” and set their ratings up front. It’s a way for a potential employer to “take a look” at your resume and determine if it’s worth reading further. You should briefly describe your skills and background and anything you feel you did that was “above and beyond” the nature of the job you had.

ADB Summary
Department manager for the 15-member department in a large marketing company. I managed the schedules and supervised the daily tasks of the department and the workflow.

The reason this is BAD is that it is generic. Lots of people have jobs like that. What sets you apart? Let’s try again:

GOOD Summary
Department manager with 10 years of experience. Created a highly synergistic department of 15 creative marketing employees that generated over $5 million in annual sales through the application of teamwork and incentives/rewards.

This is just a sample, but you should have 3-5 strong sentences like this. When writing a resume, show the results of your efforts whenever possible, whether it’s saving the company money and/or time, or generating sales.

Keep in mind that this article is for the person just entering the job market or in entry level management or below. If you’ve been in the workforce for a while and are on the rise in your field, then you’ll definitely want to consider hiring a professional resume writing service. If you visit our website, you’ll find recommendations from several excellent professional resume writers who will work one-on-one with you on designing and customizing your resume to showcase your skills and goals.