Resume Writing-Discovery Phase I: Part I of IV

Your resume is a marketing tool that should strongly represent your skills and abilities to a potential employer. Your resume should influence an employer or recruiter to call you. Your resume will not get you a job, but it will get you across the threshold for an interview. That is why it is imperative that you take time to create the best resume that reflects your talents and accomplishments.

Throughout the remainder of this week, you will be provided with an online resume workshop through this blog. This workshop will focus on four phases that will be presented to you four parts.

1. Discovery Phase I

2. Discovery Phase 2

3. Marketing Phase

4. Interview Phase

Resume Writing – Discovery Phase I:

Before creating your resume you need to have pen and paper in hand. You will need quiet time to brainstorm. You want to brainstorm about the following:

· Determine where you want this resume to lead you. What is your purpose, focus or direction? What type of position do you want with an employer? What industry do you want to work? Do you want to work in a new industry?

· Determine your skills and abilities. Once you determine your skills and abilities try to narrow it down to your top three.

· Identify key words. You want to identify key words relate to you to your skills, abilities, and knowledge. Key words are what employers/recruiters look for during key word searches. Keywords are action verbs and nouns that are related to your area of interest. A key word can be industry-related terminology, position titles (job title), etc.

· Where to find key words. You can find keys words during your job search. You can lift key words from job descriptions, job postings, etc.

After you have determined your purpose and direction, skills and abilities and key words, you need to change hats and put on your “employer/recruiter” hat. You need to think like the people who will hire you. Basically, is your resume specific to the person who will read it? Does it have the specific key words the potential employer is searching for?

Spend some quality time focusing on this phase of developing your resume. Over the next few days, more information will be provided regarding the other phases to help you create a best-selling resume. Remember your resume is the best marketing tool you have to get you in front of an employer.