October 2007


343660_keybord_1.jpgA resume well written is always a winner. What is the meaning of the same? How can your resume be well written that the person reading will respond to it in a positive manner. Creating and listing your educational achievements, your professional experience, and all the other qualifications in two pages for the entire and appreciate is a Herculean task. And for all this you will need action words or powerful words.

The action words are verbs or keywords that can add strength and positive inference to your qualifications and job responsibilities. When the resume is presented to the potential employer, there are two ways a resume will be read. One, your application will run through a computer software program, and they will search for the keywords and if it is found in your resume it will be kept aside for further review. The second one, will be the human resources person or a manager will just go through all the resumes, and based on key words will keep the resume for the review. This means that key words in any resume give them a chance for further review and possibly the job. So Key words are very important for job hunting.

The listing of employment history should be done in a bullet form with each statement starting with the action word. Using powerful verbs or phrases will compel the employer to have a look at the resume a second time. This will also make the employer feel that you are driven by the actions and results. This also highlights your communication skills.

Here is a small sample of action words:

- created
- developed and implemented
- managed
- delivered
- designed
- facilitated
- negotiated
- co-ordinated
- budgeted
- acted
- communicated
- consulted, etc.

The above list is only for so many words and there are many more which can be used. If you go online and check you will find many words which will suit your resume. And they will also fit the qualifications or job experience you would want to highlight.

The best way to get to know the action words would be to go through some resumes and use the words in you resume. Here it is important that you do not use the same from someone else’s resume. Give your resume a personal touch, while researching on the internet.

Do not use the same action words repeatedly. If multiple projects have been handled by you, try and be more specific about your role in the project. Begin the first one with communicated and the second one with managed. Be careful about the words in your resume do not just add the verbs and if they are not in the right place they can change your role or responsibility.

Alternatively, you can find the keywords in job descriptions. Review your resume and make sure that all the required qualifications are listed. This will help to classify the action words to personalize your resume and cover letter to the specific jobs.

Be consistent in making your resume and the listing of your responsibility and qualifications, and make sure the statements are positive and they focus on the actions and results. By paying attention to all this you can be sure to create a winning resume that will get you the job.

367563_abitur.jpgThe resume is a collection of the professional life you lead. It lists everything from the education you have completed to the internship. It also includes the academic skill and professional skills. It is important that the resume should consist of anything that will help you get that job you are looking out for.

The professional certificate and licenses create a impact in your career and your job. It also shows your ability to do that job. The license applies to the professional who cannot work without them. Professionals like teachers, medical professionals, real estate agents etc.

The job you are looking for requires licensing or certifications. You will need to put those certificates under the head “Professional Licenses” or Professional Certifications”. The list should be reverse order.

If the professional certification and licensing is not required in your field of work it becomes difficult to add into a resume. You will need to decide what is useful and not as per your job. But always if any certification is acquired and shows on the resume then you stand out in a crowd of other job seekers.

Take the training or any courses you have taken during the previous jobs. Make the list and find out which is more relevant to the job you are applying for and then add to the resume.

The resume should not be cluttered with the professional certifications or licenses and you should only list the 5 best ones. The certificate or licenses, should be listed with the exact name and the issuing authority. No other information is required. Also highlight the certificate in the cover letter if it is going to give you and edge over the others in your chosen field.

If the list is big, include them in a separate sheet of paper. The latest and the most recent ones should be listed and the balance you can make the prospective employer that there is more and will be available on request. The resume itself or the cover letter can point out this information. And only highlight the points which will help you in catching the eye of the prospective employer and getting that job for you.