7 Tips for a Better Resume

7 Tips for a Better Resume
by Alesia Benedict, GetInterviews.com
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Print Want more interviews? Job searches in tough times like now demand polished resumes more than ever. If you are attempting to write your own resume, these seven tips are important to follow:
1. Select the best format.While most resumes are written in a history chronological format, often a better technique is to evenly balance between skill-set description, achievements, and employment.
2. Make certain your document is error free.Since you are familiar with your own writing, you will "see" what you were thinking and not what is actually on the page. Do not rely on yourself to proofread your work and do not rely on spell-check. Find a friend who has strong grammar skills to check your work.
3. Find a balance between wordiness and lack of detail. Employers need to see details about your work history and experience, but they don't need to know everything. The fact that you were den leader in your Cub Scout troop is irrelevant. Keep information germane to the goal of attaining an interview. Eliminate information that is not related and will not have a direct impact on winning the interview.
4. Do not use personal pronouns."I," "me," "my," "mine," and "our" should not be on a resume. Resumes are written in first person (implied). Example: For your prior job description, instead of writing: "I hired, trained and supervised a team of assistant managers and sales associates" you would instead state that you "Hired, trained and supervised a team of assistant managers and sales associates." Fragment sentences are perfectly acceptable on a resume and actually preferred.
5. Use numerical symbols for numbers.While we are taught in school to spell out numbers less than ten, in resume writing, numerical symbols serve as "eye stops" and are a much better method. Instead of writing "Developed a dynamic team of eight consultants." it would be much more advantageous to state "Developed a dynamic team of 8 consultants."
6. Think "accomplishments" rather than "job duties."What makes you stand out from the crowd? How did you come up with a way to do things better, more efficiently, or for less cost? What won honors for you? Information such as this is vital, will grab attention, and put your resume at the top of the list.
7. Keep it positive.Reasons for leaving a job and setbacks do not have a place on a resume. Employers are seeking people who can contribute and have successfully performed in the past. Concentrate on communicating these issues and avoid any detracting information.
Remember, many first-time job interviews are conducted via telephone rather than in person. Make sure you are prepared for that telephone call when it arrives. And make sure you have a resume that will make the phone ring!
Alesia Benedict, Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Job and Career Transition Coach (JCTC), is the president of GetInterviews.com, a resume writing firm that provides mid-management and senior level professionals with customized, branded resumes and career marketing documents. GetInterviews.com offers a free resume critique and their services come with a wonderful guarantee -- interviews in 30 days or they'll rewrite for free!

Nurse helps save toddler's life after accident in Mpls.

A section of Broadway Street in Minneapolis was shut down for hours Monday morning, after a truck and car collide, critically injuring a 19-month-old boy.
According to police, the child is still alive thanks to a nurse, who was in the right place at the right time.
"I happened to look over and heard a smash," said Chris Barsness.
Barsness, a registered nurse, was at the scene as a delivery truck slammed into a car with the toddler strapped in a car seat. Investigators believe the car was turning left through the intersection, trying to beat the truck.
"Nobody was even trying to stop. There was no sound of breaks, nothing," Barsness explained.
"There was a guy outside of the car saying call 911…I ran over there with my blankets and didn't realize there was a baby in the back," explained Barsness.
Police said the driver of the car was not seriously hurt, but the little boy was.
"We did what we could. Cut the belt to get the car seat away from the door so paramedics could grab him and go," Barsness said.
The delivery truck driver works for Neenah Springs, a St. Paul-based beverage retailer.
A person who answered the phone at the company said, "What happens to a co-worker happens to all of us" and stated the company was praying about the situation and for everyone involved.
Police spent much of the morning reconstructing the scene and said it could be several weeks before they know the exact cause of the accident.
The toddler is being treated at an area hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Choices

There are two ways to look at the world: the benevolent way or the malevolent way. People with a malevolent or negative worldview take a victim stance, seeing life as a continuous succession of problems and a process of unfairness and oppression. They don't expect a lot and they don't get much. When things go wrong, they shrug their shoulders and passively accept that this is the way life is and there isn't anything they can do to make it better.

On the other hand, people with a benevolent or positive view see the world around them as filled with opportunities and possibilities. They believe that everything happens as part of a great process designed to make them successful and happy. They approach their lives, their work, and their relationships with optimism, cheerfulness, and a general attitude of positive expectations. They expect a lot and they are seldom disappointed.