Resume Tips For Making Employers Pick The Right “Soup Can”

Imagine a soup can on your kitchen counter and the only two markings on it are a big red ‘X’ on one side and a list of ingredients on the other. If you are hungry and have no choice but to eat whatever is in that can, what would you do? Would you indulge in it just because it has the big ‘X’ or would you actually read the ingredients? In order to find out what the can has inside, the most common thing to do would be to read the ingredients.

The same scenario can be applied to an individual and their resume. Your resume is your list of your ingredients. Your name and address take the place of the big red ‘X’ on the soup can, and the ingredients let others know what you are composed of (Education), what nutrients you have to offer (Skills and Qualifications), and how many calories you have (Experiences). The employer takes the position of the famished hunter seeking the right can of soup to indulge in.

When applying for any job, research must be done prior to and even after the application. One must make certain that they are knowledgeable about the position that they applied for. Handing out general resumes that only indicate universal traits is all right if you are applying for mass produced employment such as: Cashiers, Sales Rep., Fast Food Attendant, etc. However, if you are targeting a higher corporation and want to be involved in more specific areas; then your resume should be designed to suit that particular position.

The basics of any resume is to let the employers know who you are and to make yourself the target candidate for the job. There are two key things to remember when preparing yourself to go out on the job market. The first is KISS “keep it simple, stupid”. This means that no resume should exceed two pages, nor should it be written like an essay.

The second thing is “if you didn’t write it, they didn’t read it”. This means that if you have qualifications and skills that are essential to the employer and didn’t list them on your resume, then they are not aware of what you have to offer them. Now this might contradict the first statement, however you can tell your employers who you are and still keep it simple. This comes back to targeting specific jobs within your desired company and attaching specific resumes sections and qualifications/skills to those positions.

There are four key sections within a resume, which are: Education, Work Experience, Interests and Skills/Qualifications. Your personal information such as: name, address, phone number and email address, should be placed clearly above each page of your resume and inserted within the header. In addition to the basic four sections, other sections such as: Volunteer Experiences, Certified Accomplishments, and Awards and Achievements, may also be included within your resume to demonstrate to the employer a sense of diversity and contentment towards your abilities.

The education section within your resume should indicate the location and dates of all the educational institutes you have attended. It should also highlight general areas of studies and then branch into specific courses or certifications that you have completed. This allows for the employer to understand which field of study you have achieved and the diversity involved with that branch of study. For example, a student who studies Criminology at SFU may be accustomed with law enforcement and criminality, however they may have also been familiarized with quantitative and qualitative studies that are associated with Accounting. It is important to include the diversity of your studies in your resume as it might give you an edge over another applicant.

Within the Skills/Qualification section you should include assorted characteristics that allow the employer to be acquainted with the skills you have that other candidates might not. Even though skills and qualifications are very similar, there is a difference between the two. A skill is an ability you have that other candidates may not. For example, your experience with technology and computer processing and typing a certain amount of words within a specific amount of time is a skill because it has the ability to improve over time or to decrease.
Qualifications include having the knowledge of multiple languages, certain personal characteristics that you are proud of for example, being prompt or independent. They are basically all the things you are personally qualified to do.

Experiences are never the same. Just as fingerprints are different in each person, the employment experiences between applicants are never likely to be the same from one candidate to another. That is why employers focus on this portion of the resume the most. Make sure your employment history is simple to follow and that the dates are correct. Within an interview, if the employer finds out that your dates do not correlate with those stated on your resume, he/she has the ability to eliminate you from the hiring process.

Having limited experiences is not always a bad thing. Many individuals feel that their resume is lacking because their employment history itself is minimal. However, if you have only 2 – 3 references for employment, make sure that you expand on those references. Include a separate section within your employment history to indicate what you accomplished at each employment. And make sure that you expand on tasks rather then just listing them. For example, a Cashier may include items such as: Provided customer service to the open public, wrote concise reports on stocks and store maintenance and prepares matters of company revenue counts.

Many employers are very interested by any volunteer experience indicated on a resume. This allows them to know that you have diverse interests and are able to work well with the community. Highlight those experiences that involve you taking a leadership role or show dedication to responsibilities. Writing down personal achieved goals may also be beneficial towards the application because it shows personality to your resume.

Many applicants conclude their resume with “References available upon Request”; however, even though it is very well used, it has now become very conflicting to many employers. Many employers find that statement to be stating the obvious and useless to even include in a resume. Granted that it allows the reader to see the openness you have towards your references, however many employers find that statement to be a given. If an employer wants your references, they will ask for it. If you are very thorough, you may include a separate page that lists all your references and keep it with you at all times. And when asked for your references, you can hand it to them and how them that you have prepared it ahead of time.

If you want to really personalize your resume and make certain that you and your resume are both cemented within the employers mind, then as an endnote, include a quote. It may be a historic quote reflecting your perception on life, or a quote you wrote to be a sign of your experiences. Just as the above soup can may state, “”M’m! M’m! Good! ” for Campbells soup, you want to leave off with a catching notion or remark.

The presentation of your resume must be clean cut and very appealing. It cannot be sloppy or written like a list. Make clear headings, title each section and align segments that need to be lined up. Make certain that your name on the header is the biggest font on your resume. You cannot have your ‘Education’ title be bigger than your name.

Your cover letter, which is always attached to your resume, should match the header of your resume. The presentation should be the same and your contact information should all line up with the resume. The content of your cover letter is a summary of your resume. It is here that you can expand and tell your story, however you only have a page. Let them know what you have to offer personally and how you may benefit their company. Indicate which job you applied for, the names of the individuals whom you are giving your resume to and the name and address of the company. If you are unsure of the name of the individuals, then just simply write “To whom it may concern,”

After applying for any job, you must make sure you have the employers name, number and address with you. This will able you to give call backs and inquire on the job application process of the company you applied for. And if you are consistent with when you call and indicate that you are only inquiring about your progress, then the employer will see that determination that you have towards obtaining that specific position. Make sure that the employer has chosen the right soup can.