Writing A Beat The Recession Resume Part 1

This article is written for those who are applying for jobs for the first time, or who are re-entering the work force after having not worked for some period of time. Writing a good resume is easy to do, even if you don’t have much work experience or extensive education—all you need are a few tips, some suggestions to build your recession proof resume.

Resume

There are four essential elements of a resume:

* Your name and address
* Personal Objective
* Work History
* Education

Offering personal references is not essential, but it is a good idea to either list the names and addresses of two or three people or to have that information available if a prospective employer asks for references. More about references is given below.

Your Name and Address

Be sure to include your full name (no nicknames) and current address. If you are living in shared housing (such as with a parent, a roommate, or in any other shared housing situation), be sure to include a room number or any other information that is part of your full address. Use the complete street name, including the word Avenue, Road, Street, etc. Make sure that you include your zip code.

Your name and address need to appear on the first page of your resume. If your resume is two pages, then be sure that at least your name is on the second page. (Resumes that are longer than two pages might not get processed! Remember that a prospective employer is likely to be reviewing quite a few resumes, so keep your information to the point, and limit yourself to two pages. Tips for keeping your resume crisp and short are given below.)

Personal Objective

Include a one-sentence statement that provides your “objective” for applying for the job. This doesn’t have to be anything more than your honest reason for looking for work. Try to use your own words (that is, try to write the sentence yourself, rather than copying a statement from an example resume). Use plain language (you won’t necessarily impress an employer by using big words).

Examples of a personal objective:

* I am planning on making a career in retail sales, and want to learn more about working in a clothing store.
* I am very artistic and will enjoy working in a craft store.
* I am certified in welding and I am looking for a job in a welding shop.
* I want to contribute my skills as [an XYZ] to a successful company.

As you can see, the “personal objective” statement is a simple sentence that tells the employer why you are applying for the job.

Work History

Your work history is a list of your last three jobs; with your most recent job first. If you are currently working, then start with that job. Include the name of the company, address, and phone number. For past employment, list at least the company name, city and state (phone numbers are a plus, even if out-of-state).

Show, in a short list, your primary job duties (tasks) at each job, just the facts are great in this position. You don’t need to go into a lot of detail. List only the primary tasks for your job position. Don’t list job duties that don’t pertain that your primary job, unless it is a skill that is applicable to the job you are applying for.

For example, let’s say that you are working as a cashier at a local discount store. Your primary tasks are to check out customers and balance your cash drawer. These are the tasks that pertain to your primary job and need to be listed in your resume.

However, let’s also say that you are currently applying for a job at another retail store that is hiring a shift leader to work at the checkout station and to help cashiers who have questions or may need help with situations like price overrides. Now and then at your old job, you have been asked to train new cashiers or help other cashiers when they have questions. Since you do have some experience in assisting cashiers, you will want to add that you “also trained and assisted other cashiers” as a job duty because this experience directly applies to the job you are applying for. It shows that you were asked to perform job tasks that weren’t part of your primary job and is an indication that the employer trusted you with these types of tasks.

Do this for your two prior jobs. If you’ve only had one job, then obviously, only list that job. For two jobs, then you’ll have only two. We will follow up tomorrow with the remaining tips and tricks to create your Beat The Recession Resume.

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