What are general hints and tips about creative writing?

Hints & Tips for Resume Writing

• Answer:

  If you're having trouble finding a job, you may not be the problem. Even the most qualified candidates with an appropriate level of skills, experience and education are not likely to get far in the hiring process without a top-notch resume. Before applying for a position, review your resume and make sure it's helping your job search instead of hindering it. Write Concisely Don't treat your resume like it's an opportunity to reveal every detail about your career. Unless you have an advanced degree or over 10 years of relevant experience for a position, you should not need a second page. Make sure a hiring manager could spot your credentials within the first 10-15 seconds. Monster recommends including your major selling points within the top quarter of the first page; if you don't put down something that makes you attractive to the recruiter by that point, chances are slim he will even bother looking through the other 75 percent of the page. Don't Praise Yourself Avoid trying to describe just how capably you handled your last position by scattering adjectives like "highly skilled" or "outstanding" throughout your resume. If you include these words in your resume, your recruiter is more likely to think of you as arrogant and unprofessional than any of the self-flattering terms you wrote about yourself. Focus on describing your achievements from a neutral, factual standpoint and allow the hiring manager herself to determine how qualified you are. Use Keywords Even if you are qualified for a position you are applying for, failing to use the appropriate keywords may knock you out of consideration before you have a chance to prove it. Use words that speak to having multiple skills. For instance, USAJobs suggests that the lone keyword "analyst" by itself puts the idea in a recruiter's head that you have skills in the collection, research and evaluation of data. Study company issued job descriptions of similar positions to determine what the most effective keywords for each specific opening are. Appearance Matters Your resume is often the first opportunity you have to make a good impression on your recruiter, and if the appearance is not professional, it's your only opportunity. No matter how skilled you are or how effectively you sell yourself, if you present the information poorly, your resume will end up in the discard pile. Use font emphasis like bold and italics to neatly divide each section of your resume. Stick to basic fonts and leave enough white space to maintain a pleasing look for the hiring manager.