Pick me! Tips to write the perfect resume

By Jessica Walendukanis
Courier Staff

Sell it to me; don’t tell it to me. An employer needs to be sold on, not told, why you are the right fit for the job.

A great resume can serve this purpose and gives reason as to why it is important to treat your resume as a marketing tool. “It’s important to focus on the assets you bring to the table, and it’s even more important not to forget every career tidbit,” said Teena Rose, columnist, public speaker and certified/published resume writer

Karon Thackston, author of “Your Resume-It’s Really an Ad,” offers three tricks that can be used to “advertise” in a resume that can make all the difference. First, know who your target audience is; know what they want from you and what you want from them.

Second, develop a list of selling points. Answer the question, “What’s in it for me and what can I do for them?”

Finally, turn all the features of the product/service into benefits with YOU being the product or service.

Thackston commented, “When you sit down to write your resume, just remember to keep your target audience in mind during the entire creation process, provide a detailed oriented objective and list your past successes. When you do, you are well on your way to scheduling an interview and landing a job!” So for all students out there who will be looking for work soon, remember to dig deep and cover all the bases to ensure that your resume reflects key information relevant to your career. For guidance, the Wackerle Career and Leadership Center can assist students in creating resumes that stand out to future employers.

“When you send out resumes, you are marketing yourself to employers. You are showing them why you are a qualified candidate, one outstanding from the rest. Therefore, it is imperative that your resume is outstanding in itself,” said Michelle Shawgo, director of the Wackerle Career Development Program.

Most people think that the resume is something solely reporting their education, work history and job duties.

However, they can include relevant coursework, internships, special skills and almost anything else demonstrating your qualification for the position. According to Shawgo, there is no right or wrong resume.

However, there are effective and ineffective resumes: most of the time, the best way to determine the effectiveness of a resume is to get a second opinion. “Our most widely-used service is by far resume critique,” remarked Shawgo. Students can e-mail their resumes to the Wackerle for review and have recommendations made. Remember, this process takes time. Do not expect overnight results. Recently, in a span of two-and-a-half weeks, Shawgo received 37 resumes for review.

“Unfortunately, I can’t always respond as quickly as I would like. I am only one person,” she commented.

If you are interested in getting feedback on your resume, be sure to submit it with plenty of time. Do not send it the day before a job fair or application deadline.

“I spend time with each resume, and try to determine the best approach to make it work for the individual,” explained Shawgo.

Shawgo, who formerly worked at the Illinois Employ-ment and Training Center, has seen her share of resumes. The former Resource Room Coordinator estimated that she has reviewed hundreds of resumes in less than two years.