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Articles
What is a resume and why
is it so important
How to write a
professional summary for your resume
Including references on
your resume
Prioritizing job
descriptions in your resume
Including Hobbies and
interests in your resume
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Reviewing your final resume
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what to look for and who to ask for help
One of the most commonly made mistakes in resume writing that many
professionals make is not taking the time to proofread the document before
sending it to the potential employer.
While writing a resume is a time
consuming process, not reviewing your final document with fresh eyes may
cause your resume to end up in a recycling bin.
To assure that all your
efforts are not wasted, make sure that you take the following three steps to
assure your resume is in top shape before it reaches your potential
employer.
1. Proofread the content for grammar and spelling mistakes. This step is the
most critical in the resume review process. It is often hard to catch
composition errors after you send hours writing and re-writing all parts of
your resume. There are two ways to catch these errors: ask someone else to
proof your resume, or give yourself time between writing and reviewing your
resume. If you ask a friend or a family member for help, make sure that
their strengths include spelling and grammar; they should be able to edit
your resume for content and consistency in style. Asking others to review
your resume, however, should be done with parameters. For example, let your
friend know what you are struggling with, so that they can help you address
those concerns. Because personal preferences can come into play when you are
discussing resumes, make sure that the changes you make are the kind you are
comfortable with in terms of content. Another step in proofreading, which
should be thought of as a must, is stepping away from your resume for a day
or two, and coming back to it for a final review. This gives you some space
from the content, and will allow you to review for grammar and spelling
errors with fresh eyes.
2. Print our and email your resume so that you know what your potential
employer will receive after you submit your resume. Make sure to print your
resume from the file that you are emailing to your employer. Make sure that
the margins are set properly and are not cutting off any content. Look for
spaces, and adjust the text in case of any large gaps on the paper. E-mail
your resume to a number of your friends; have them open the file and let you
know how it appears on their screen, as well as how it prints out.
Addressing any formatting issues before your resume reaches the employer is
ideal, so doing a couple of test runs will only assist in developing a
winning final resume.
3. Compare your resume to the job requirements, and make sure that all
requirements are addressed in either your resume or your cover letter.
Essentially, review what the employer is looking for and make sure that your
resume addresses all of their needs. When your potential employer receives
your resume, they will look for key terms from their job description in
order to match your qualifications to their available position. If possible,
use some of the same terminology on your resume as the employer used on the
job description. This will let the employer know that you are in synch with
their needs, and make them more interested in you as the ideal candidate for
the job. Ask one of your friends to review the job description and your
resume as well, and give you their impression on how well the two match.
Poorly written or formatted resumes let your employer know that you don’t
pay any attention to detail. Taking the extra time to do a final review of
your resume is the key to getting employer’s attention and getting the job
you always wanted.
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