With so many people looking for employment, many of them older displaced workers, brushing up on resume writing and interview skills is a necessity. Bob Marino, an adjunct professor with Temple and Salem Community College, facilitated a workshop at The Pennsville Public Library on January 26th, 2012. Here are his top 'Tips On Resume Writing'.
1) Use good quality 8 1/2 x 11 paper
2) Your resume should be consistent. If you place dates at the end of information, do the same throughout the resume. (You don't need dates, although they are fine.)
3) Highlight marketable assets with bold or italics.
4) Most common types of resumes - chronological and experience resumes.
5) Make it easy to read. Format resume to your best advantage. (Two pages are ok if you have lots of experience to showcase.)
6) Make it neat and professional looking.
7) Be specific about duties and responsibilities - number of people supervised, amount of budget handled, what you were responsible for, how many customers did you serve daily, sales volume, etc.
8) Avoid colored paper. (Although, if you are applying for a hair dressers position, for instance, colored paper may be appropriate.)
9) Education, work experience should be listed in REVERSE chronological order. (Information should be strategically placed. Sell your "big guns" up front: sales, education, experience, etc.)
10) Proof read for errors - have a friend proofread for errors, too. 
11) Highlight and expand upon experiences or education related to your career objectives. (Give them what they want, not necessarily what you've got.)
12) If you are sending resumes to a variety of business environments, it might be necessary to have more than one resume with each geared specifically toward the position desired.
13) Use a high quality printer and check for smudges and copy marks.
When searching for a new position, don't ignore your marketable skills. For instance, if you can type 60+ words per minute, you might be able to have a job tomorrow! Over 90+ words per minute? You can definitely have a job tomorrow!
Including an 'objective' at the top of your resume is no longer a good practice. It tells the employer that you are out of work and looking for work. Better to come from a position of strength.
Stay tuned -- the next post will provide interview tips and some of the most common questions posed by employers on job interviews.
Best wishes to all of you who are actively looking for work.
May the force be with you.
Professor Bob Marino
robertfmarino@yahoo.com
Comments(7)