7 Ways to Perfect Your Resume

Making a perfect resume to stand out from the crowd means you have to create a brand and determine what it embodies. A resume lets everyone know how your skills differ from the hundreds of other applicants vying for a job. Here are some ways to get this vital document in line with what recruiters and HR managers are looking for.

Start your perfect resume by consulting a job coach. These professionals often offer one free consultation before asking for a fee. The coach might offer a few targeted tips to spruce up your resume. The overall aim of a resume is to tell your brand's story. How did you develop such great sales skills? How did you learn the lessons that made you into a dynamite people person? Beyond this storytelling aspect, consider these seven tips for creating a wonderful resume.

1. Find Industry Experience

If you do hire a coach, find one with experience in your particular field. Someone who specializes in marketing resumes can help you craft the perfect resume for a PR department. Plenty of coaches may work over the Internet, so you do not even have to walk into an office for a consultation.

2. Write Your Own Copy

Compose your own perfect resume. Take the coach's advice, but do not outsource your words. You still have to tell your story from your perspective; no job coach provide the same level of insight into your past professional experiences.

3. Define Your Personal Brand

See your resume as a personal marketing document rather than a list of experiences, skills and educational degrees. Think of the perfect resume as your press release to a prospective employer and emphasize what's special about your brand. Show how you add value and benefits to an employer that others cannot. Your resume represents your showpiece, so make it count.

4. Compose a Career Summary

The first thing a recruiter sees on your resume should be a 40- to 50-word career summary. This brief biography outlines three main reasons why an employer should hire you.

5. Create Bullet Points

Use bullet points to denote accomplishments, especially if you worked for a company for a long time. Don't go overboard: limit bullet points to four to six of the most notable things you did.

6. List All Awards

List any and all awards you have won, but make sure you can easily prove you acquired these honors if challenged. You can do this by keeping track of company newsletters or mass emails making the announcement, as well as by even rendering the award itself if necessary.

7. Tailor the Document

Tailor the resume to each specific job opening for which you apply. That means tweaking your 50-word career summary and including keywords from the job description. Your work history, skills and education can probably stay the same each time, but other aspects of your resume should focus in on how you are the perfect candidate for the position.

A perfect resume does not have to be a work of art, but it does need to stand out from the crowd. Only you can sell and tell your story, so make sure to give it the attention it needs.

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