In today’s competitive job market, training providers, employers, career advisors and recruitment agencies are in abundance. All of these service providers agree that to make the most of their programs, use their services or contact a prospective employer, you must have a professional and eye catching résumé. Despite this fact, very few organisations are able to offer practical résumé solutions. As a result, recruitment services and employment opportunities may never come together, simply because the key ingredient [your résumé] is not working for you.

There is no one easy formula or generic template that makes a Winning Resume. The success of a résumé lies in its uniqueness – what it says about you as an employee that makes you stand out from the crowd. With this in mind, the best way to approach your résumé is to think of it as your own personal marketing kit. Just like any other product on the shelf, competing for selection, you need to:

• Visually catch the eye of the employer through professional layouts & design
  
  
• Target the right market by appealing to employers values and the job criteria
  
  
• Advertise your key skills and achievements to sell your competitive advantage

So even though we cannot provide you with a magic formula or generic template, just like any advertising campaign, there are some basic key components every résumé must have.

[In order of appearance]

• Contact Details
  Your Name, Address, Phone Numbers and Email Address
  
  
• Career Objective/Career Statement
  
  
• Key Skill Summary [Preferred but optional]
  
  
• Employment History or Relevant Experience
  
  
• Professional Development
  All education, training and qualifications – when and where.
  
  
• Key Competencies [Optional]
  
  
• Additional Skills
  Such as Computer Skill, Languages etc.
  
  
• Referees
  The names of 2-3 professional persons that can verify your work experience.
  

Each of these sections have a specific purpose and criteria, and must be profesionally and pursuasively written in a way that targets the needs of the industry or an employer and best promotes your competitive advantage.

Recent surveys of Australia’s top 500 companies, indicate that the expected length of a good Australian résumé should be:

1 – 2 Pages Graduate or School Leaver
3 – 4 Pages Professional or Tradesperson
5 – 6 Pages Senior Executive or CEO

Easy to read techniques

• DO use a Microsoft Word program to prepare your résumé.
  
  
• DO clearly state your name and contact details at the start of your résumé.
  
  
• DO use simple headings for each section.
  
  
• DO select one standard professional font to use throughout e.g. Arial or Times New Roman
  
  
• DO use a sensible font size of 10-12 points for body text.
  
  
• DO evenly space each section and each point. Don’t be afraid of space.
  
  
• DO clearly highlight achievements.
  
  
• DO left align all headings and either left align or justify all body text.

REMEMBER: A reader’s eyes scan from top left to bottom right.

• DO be consistent throughout with alignment, font, style and space.
  
  
• DO provide a high quality print out of your résumé on clean crisp good quality white paper.
  
  
• DO provide loose-leaf copies of your résumé in a simple card folder.
  
  
• DO use Adobe Acrobat, if you have access to this program, to make a PDF version of your résumé. This will protect the integrity of your document when emailing.
  
  
• DO NOT bind your résumé; insert it into plastic sleeves or use staples or clips.
  
  
• DO NOT print on both sides of the paper.
  
  
• DO NOT use over complicated templates in MS Word if emailing the document.

Eye Catching Presentation Methods

• DO either use Bold, Italic, Underline or Colour to highlight headings, subheadings or key achievements. Never use a combination.
  
  
• DO use your own unique format, or modify standard MS Words formats to distinguish your résumé from everyone else that uses the same format.
  
  
• DO NOT use clip art, pictures or photos. Photos are only acceptable for airline and some hospitality applications.

Now that you have an idea of the content required and presentation standards, the next step to develop your résumé is to:

• Know the purpose and criteria of each section and how it should be written.
  
  
• Understand how to target the right market and ‘sell’ your experience.
  
  
• Be able to write it professionally and competitively.
  
  
• Have the creativity to bring it all together in an easy to read, yet eye catching presentation.

The few tips listed above will help you on your way. However, if you do not have the time to devote to this process or the required knowledge and writing skills, you may want to consider our résumé writing services and/or Winning Ways Training.

  Résumés  Cover Letters  Selection Criteria  Career Resources