If you are struggling with writing your resume, you’re not alone! The resume is the first and most important piece of information about you that appears on the path of your potential employer (whether through your own marketing efforts or sent to the employer through a referral of yours.)
If your resume isn’t working for you after weeks of emailing and snail mailing, you will know that instantly because you won’t be getting any phone calls, letters, or emails acknowledging it; however, you can’t base that on just ONE resume you send out for ONE job because, often times, the employer already knows the candidate that is going to get the job and they simply are going through the motions to make the search process “seem” fair to the general public. (Heck, you might even get an interview even though they STILL know they aren’t going to hire YOU because they’ve created and saved that job for their ol’ buddy from college.)
Nonetheless, there are certain specific things you can do on your resume to increase your chances of getting interviews. One of them is how you handle the writing of your most recent work experience – which is, typically, one of the very first things they see on your resume (after the objective and after the highlights section that is!)
If you have been unemployed for less than 12 months AND IF that job you had was for LONGER than 6 months, THEN write your resume, that job description, IN PRESENT TENSE.
For example,
Assistant Manager 2010-present
ABC COMPANY Dallas, Texas
Assist in providing leadership, cutting-edge initiatives…
As soon as you are asked (and you will be) about your “current” employer over the phone or during the in-person interview, OF COURSE you will let the interviewer know that the company was downsizing, went out of business, or caught fire (and that last copy of your resume was the only thing that made it out!) and that you are no longer working there. When you write your cover letter, be sure to write it in such a way that does NOT state you are currently employed – because a cover letter is something that should always be CURRENT whereas the resume is often “the most recent version” sent.
For your cover letter, for example, instead of writing:
The last job I had required exceptional dog training skills and an ability to work well with all breeds,
you can write,
“The role of dog trainer demands patience, skills, and a respect for all breeds.”
Let’s face it, potential employers want to interview, meet with, and consider candidates who are already employed! If you haven’t worked in over two years – get off your butt and do something that you can add to your resume to show that you are working to improve yourself, your skills, and your knowledge.
Once you have that potential employer on the phone or in front of you – THEN you are free to dazzle and amaze them with your knowledge, skills, passion, wit, abilities, training, and achievements – even if what you have been doing the past 12 months is volunteering at the local radio station.
Now, if you only had your most recent job for less than 6 months (or didn’t even pass the 90-day trial period most companies give new candidates) OR if your most recent job was OVER a year ago – do NOT write it in present tense. Instead, BEFORE you start to prepare your resume and send it out – be certain you have some sort of additional recent schooling, new skill, and/or current volunteer work to add to the TOP of your resume (where you “current” full-time would normally go).
Again, you MUST show that you have been doing SOMETHING constructive, worthwhile, and beneficial to both you AND THE POTENTIAL COMPANY! (Hence, the BEST time to look for another job is while you are still employed!)
If you need help writing your CURRENT or MOST RECENT job experience, you can hire us to create just that one part for you to get you going on your resume. Once you have completed the paypal transaction below, simply email us (writerswithspark @ aol. com) your current (or most recent) job description that you are using. We will have your “new” description creatively adjusted for you within 48 hours of receiving payment.
