Build an impressive resume

Getting started on your resume

Key Takeaways:

In creating a standout resume, it’s important to keep in mind what is truly important to the job ad and how you can match up to it.

Your resume is a key document - its purpose is to summarise your experience, your skills and achievements, conveying your unique value proposition to a prospective new employer. It's one of the first steps in getting you market ready, by ensuring you have an amazing resume to share.

The first step is pulling together what you already have. Look for your old resumes, former position descriptions or old performance appraisals. Don’t have any of those? Make a list of the positions you’ve held and start googling. Find position descriptions online that are most closely aligned with the responsibilities you’ve held.

Think about the role you want to target. Find a few examples and find keywords which are most common across these profiles – what experience are these employers looking for, the technical skills required and the desirable soft skills.

Begin with your most recent position and organisation and note the period over which you worked there. Think about ‘what you want to be known for’, the capabilities that you’re skilled at and those you’re most passionate about. Refer back to your target position descriptions and look at the keywords and skills you highlighted. Try to mirror the language that’s been used to create alignment between your own experience and the jobs you want to be considered for .Think about the role you want to target. Find a few examples and find keywords which are most common across these profiles – what experience are these employers looking for, the technical skills required and the desirable soft skills.

Then move to your achievements. Try to think of at least three for your most recent role. This is a critical aspect of your resume and an important way of demonstrating how you’ve added value to the organisations you’ve worked for.

Working with your Coach will help you to refine and polish your resume. Creating a strong resume takes time and hard work to get right. It’s always well worth the effort!

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