Overview

"A resume is designed to do one thing, and one thing only: to interest a prospective employer sufficiently enough to invite you to an interview. That's the resume's only purpose." This is the message from Presenting Your Credentials Effectively, written by Nationwide Career Counseling for Attorneys, Inc. Your resume is your primary personal marketing tool. It is often your first introduction to an employer. First impressions are of supreme importance. You want to project as favorable and professional an image as possible. A solid, well written, focused resume can do those things for you. An effective resume allows you to profile your personal, educational, professional, and experiential qualifications for the position you are pursuing.

Experts indicate that employers who review many resumes may spend thirty seconds or less reading each one during the initial screening process. What this means to you as a job hunter is that your resume must stand out. This does not mean that you should use brightly colored paper or an exotic, difficult-to-read font. You must, however, pay attention to every detail in your resume. Your resume must:

• Have a professional appearance.
• Easily communicate information.
• Communicate your ability to perform the job.
• Be absolutely error-free.

Your resume should be on white or off-white high quality paper. It is imperative that it be error-free. Check and re-check for typographical errors, misspellings (even after spell-checking the document), and poor grammar.

Be concise and stress the positive aspects of your background, education, achievements, and experiences. Many sources and experts in the field advise that a resume should be only one page in length or two at the most. This means that you need to be specific with your positive points and avoid irrelevant or trivial information.

An effective approach is to tailor your resume to the specific job for which you are applying. You can do this by stating the specific position by title in the "Job Objective" section of the resume. This will focus specifically on what the individual employer needs and wants. You are letting the employer know that you have the ability and background to meet their exact needs.