Resume(source askmen.com)

Also known as a CV or curriculum vitae, which is Latin for "the course of one's life," the resume is a document detailing a person's work history and job qualifications. Designed to both attract and inform potential employers, it can include information such as the applicant's education level, previous positions and notable skills as well as a list of awards and achievements. The term "resume" is derived from the French word for "summary," which implies clarity and conciseness. As such, resumes are typically brief. Their average length is between one and three pages.

There exist two types of resumes. The first, called the chronological resume, is the most commonly used. Its main section consists of an annotated list of previous employers, in which the candidate’s various job titles are briefly described, starting with the most recent. The purpose of this format is to demonstrate steady professional growth and career consistency. In contrast, the functional resume emphasizes job skills and achievements, dividing the candidate’s work history in different categories such as communication, management and administration. This format is recommended for career changers and job seekers with little experience.

The Resume on AM

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration estimates that today's workers will hold an average of 15 to 17 jobs in their lifetime, making the job-search process a recurring theme in every man's career. Coupled with the cover letter, the resume is always the first thing that recruiters check when screening candidates for hire. That's why, whenever you apply for a new position, it's crucial you submit a professional curriculum vitae showcasing your work experience, job skills and most impressive achievements. If your potential employers don't like your resume, you don’t stand a chance.

However, professionalism alone may not be enough to get you through the door. For every job posting, companies receive countless applications, and you want to make sure your resume stands out from the rest. AskMen.com has all the resources you need to leave the competition in the dust, including guides explaining how to write a killer resume and cover letter, tips on what to avoid as well as what recruiters are looking for and advice on maintaining your curriculum vitae between jobs. These articles will help you create the perfect resume to captivate any potential employer.

Resume Fact

Film and television star Stephen Furst got his big break by placing his resume inside a pizza box. Before he was discovered, Stephen Furst worked as a pizza delivery man in Hollywood. Soon after the actor started slipping his picture and resume into pizza boxes, producer Marty Simmons offered him a part in National Lampoon’s Animal House.

As a job seeker, your resume has to be your best sales pitch. As a whole, it should sufficiently hype up your achievements, carefully cover your job experience and skills, and provide a clear picture of who you are and how you can help the company you're applying to. The perfect resume does all of that in 60 seconds or less. Unfortunately, that's how long employers are willing to look at a resume, which means that every bold heading and bulleted word counts.

It's up to you to win the job, but here are some tips to help you create a perfect resume that can get you the interview.

create the perfect resume

Header and introduction

Name, contact info and opening statement

Employers want to see how you can summarize. Before you start your perfect resume, take notes about the job for which you're applying and consider how your skills, past work experience and education can fit in. This process is similar to the one you followed for your cover letter, except that resumes share more details in a noticeably different format.

Your header should start with your name centered at the top of the page and written in a font that's twice the size as your contact information. All phone numbers and professional (sounding and looking) e-mail addresses should be included for getting in touch with you. Don't include websites, unless they're necessary for the job. If your resume goes past one page (don't let it go past two), restrict your header to the first page and maintain a consistent footer. Try a centered footer like these:

Your name - Page 1 of 2

Critics are divided about whether to write a traditional job target or a positioning statement after your contact information. Here are some examples:

• Job target (10-20 words): A sentence that shares your ambitions and career goals. It can sour recruiters, however, who have no desire to read your aspirations and are only scanning for how you can help them.

Example: To maximize sales growth and overall revenue within a dynamic software developer in a senior marketing capacity.

• Positioning statement (10-20 words): A statement that offers a clear summation of skills, but leaves the potential employer with a blank when it comes to where you ultimately want to be.

Example: Marketing specialist with a five-year background in software promotions for a Fortune 500 company.

Your final choice depends on your preference and industry. Some journalist and mass communications jobs actually discourage any opening statements at all. Alternatively, a statement that combines skills and ambitions can be worthwhile. If you do use one, try to be attention-grabbing and descriptive. Keep in mind that an opening line sets the tone for your resume and sends implied messages about your abilities and salary expectations.

Listing your professional experience on your perfect resume…

Professional experience

Qualifications, career highlights and work history

The next section on your perfect resume will list your skills and achievements in three to five bulleted statements. Don't use any terminology that you might repeat later on and stick to quick and effective achievements and qualifications. Here's a sample list:

Qualifications and career highlights

• Increased ACME's annual revenue by 25% in five years.
• Directed company-wide promotions for over 50 ACME products.
• Certified in MoneySmart and QuickMax accounting software packages.

Now it's time for the nitty-gritty, the "Professional Experience" section. You might have a lot to cover here, but your goal is to emphasize, not to overwhelm. Typically, work history is listed from most recent to oldest and includes job titles, company names and the dates of employment for each entry. This format allows your work history to convey upward mobility. If you've worked primarily with one employer, formulate a list of the different positions you've held and how your responsibilities changed over time. Jobs that aren't relevant should still be listed to prevent resume gaps, but keep their details to a minimum.

Speaking of gaps, if you do have them, you can briefly detail what you were doing during the gap if it pertains to school or traveling. If you were unemployed for much of the same year, you can fix it by omitting months from your dates of employment and only including the years.

Here's the fun part: describing your jobs without modesty. Sell yourself by selling your strengths. Resumes are built on your success, not the actual jobs therein. You can take a statement or two to sum up the job with appropriate finesse, but choose accomplishments over responsibilities. With that in mind, use guided proofs to showcase success. These are single statements that begin with a problem (or an implied issue), describe your actions and share the positive result.

When you're detailing your job and writing guided proofs, keep these considerations in mind:

• Use action verbs and buzz words: Action verbs like "eliminated," “completed” and "implemented" let employers know that you're assertive and take care of business. Industry buzz words, from the job posting for instance, are also useful to show that your work is relevant to their immediate needs.
• Include names and numbers: Use important names if you have them, otherwise opt for job titles of those you've reported to. Numerical figures, financial information and percentages give credibility to your accomplishments.
• Address unadvertised qualities: Employers look for more than they've advertised, so showcase other qualities that are valuable. Communication skills, team leadership and honesty are good intangibles -- convey them wherever you can.

Here's what a job description with two sample guided proofs might looks like:

Senior Marketing Specialist, ACME Enterprises

2001 - 2003

Designed advertising campaigns to target potential software clients in over 20 countries while communicating with 500-plus local clients. Directed and supervised a hand-picked sales team to handle expanding departmental duties.

• Remapped existing company sales strategies with CFO Jack Henry and developed strategic sales plans that exceeded revenue targets by at least 25% annually.
• Completed Money Edge certification and administered intermediate one-on-one training to the entire 10-person sales team in two months.

How to format your education entries on your perfect resume…

Keep your descriptions and proofs short, with bullets and bolding for emphasis. Our example has two, but you'll want to use up to five. Don't use "I" in any of your statements and make note of accomplishments that you aren't including, so you can keep them handy for interviews.

Education

Degrees, certificates and relevant academic achievements

To potential employers, professional experience is more important than education. Your brief "Education" section should be follow the KISS format -- Keep It Simple Stupid -- with one exception; if you're low on work history and high on education, you might swap the order of these two sections and create a more detailed educational profile.

As with the "Professional Experience" section, list your education from most recent to oldest and include degrees attained, graduation years and schools. School GPAs are worth noting, if they're above a B average, as are academic awards. Courses that are relevant to the job can be highlighted, space-permitting. Here's an example:

B.A. Communications (2001)

Ricetown University, Los Angeles

Relevant Courses: Strategic Business Communications, Advanced Crisis Communications.

Technical skills and professional development

Special skills and volunteering

The last section is comprised of a list of your skills and volunteer experience.

The easiest way to display your skills is to create a table with categories like Spoken Languages, Multimedia Software, Web Development and anything else that is suitable. Include a list of your specific skills within each box. If your skills are mostly in a single area like software, then a box isn't necessary. A simple list will suffice:

Technical Skills

Advanced knowledge of Windows XP, MS Office (Word, Power Point, Excel, Outlook, Access).

You balk at the inclusion of volunteer experience, but even a brief summary says a lot about who you are. If you've volunteered within your industry, it's a must, and you likely have a few important names to include. Format this section as you did for the "Professional Experience" section, but condense it to a single line description or guided proof for each entry.

Don't include hobbies or references at the end of your resume. Unless a hobby fits in with the job, it likely won't fit with whoever's reading it, especially if it unintentionally offends them. For references, simply state that they are available upon request and bring a print out of them with you to the interview.

before you send it away

Your perfect resume might feel ready to go, but it isn't; not without some extensive proofreading. Send it to at least three people and come back to it after 24 hours, if possible. Since many employers will stop reading after one error, it's up to you to make your work flawless. Once you've sent it off, plan ahead for the interview and think about what accomplishments you can discuss. Now that you know how to create a perfect resume, you'll be ready when the time comes again.

Resources:
www.questcareer.com
http://jobsearch.about.com - Resume gaps
http://jobsearch.about.com - Tips
www.resume-resource.com
www.careerjournal.com