Do you want to get a job in a prestigious company or work in a small business with career growth potential? What do you need? Some jobs require a degree while others are more concerned about experience, but first things first: to get noticed amongst hundreds of applicants you need to have an effective resume. A resume which will catch the attention of the hiring manager. Many people put unnecessary details on their resumes or go overboard in being unique. Let us take for instance a person who applied for a job at a law firm. She wrote on her resume: ?Hobbies: playing with my dogs, I love them more than my husband.? We do not have to ask if she got hired or not. Let us keep our resume as reasonable as possible unless you are applying for a job in a comedy club.

Employers are Not Fortune Tellers
A resume without a specified target is like a map without markers. You should specify the position you want to apply for. Some job hunters think that it is the hiring manager?s responsibility to determine the job he or she is applying for. We should take note that when seeking employment it is our responsibility to look for a position where we can make use of our skills. We can asses this personally through our goals, achievements, and experience. A better resume can be written once you have identified the position you are targeting.

?How? is Often Ignored When Writing a Resume
It is important to give details on how you have improved an area at your previous job. For instance, if you write that you increased client satisfaction by 50% this statement is quite vague. You should write that you increased client satisfaction by 50% by researching on ways to directly fix customer concerns, reduced call waiting time by three minutes, and reduced product delivery times from ten to four days. The hiring manager will be able to have a visual impression of your working attitude and the great contributions you have given to your previous company. It is also important to avoid spelling mistakes. One mistake read: ?Demonstrated ability in multi-tasting.?

The Right Terminologies
Using the right terminologies is also of great importance. Passive verses active vocabulary words will put the reader to sleep or even worse your resume will not be considered. Business is business and time is money and an employer will make a quick judgment call. Do you know that a hiring manager would only spend around 15 seconds to read one resume? Employers are receiving hundreds of applications for one position. If your resume is extremely wordy then your chances of getting hired are much slimmer. It is also important to use synonyms. If a resume has the word manage written numerous times it will give the employer the impression that you are not very well equipped with words. If you use too many flowery words this could also pose a negative impact with the hiring manager. It is important to keep your resume precise and use targeted keywords. One resume mistake which dealt with inappropriate terminology read: ?Hobbies: Having a good time.?

Show Don?t Tell
Let the employer know your duties and responsibilities on your former job. It is important for you to include your achievements from your previous job so that they will be able to know your strengths and the value you can bring to their organization. Please do not include unnecessary points like your husband?s favorite sport. It?s critical to be precise and concise and have a professional resume.