What I Have Learned About Resume Writing

Updated on: by Miranda Grimm
Resume Writing
Resume Writing
Resume writing is something many of us dread when applying for a job. In fact, I dreaded it so much at one time- I would not even apply for a job if it required a resume! Even when I did attempt a resume I felt clueless and did not know how to show all of my experience with my dozen or so work-at-home jobs as an independent contractor.
While I do not see myself as being qualified to give any sort of resume writing advice, I did learn a few things during my Adventure of Working at Home and after being asked several times about how to write a resume I figured I would share what I do know.
I once chatted with an online friend named Veronica (you LiveOps agents should know her well!). She has her own resume writing business and was nice enough to give me a few tips. What I learned from her was that there are several types of resume formats. When you work as an Independent Contractor, especially for a variety of companies, it is best to highlight your experience rather than your time with a particular company (or list of). Instead of a traditional resume format Veronica suggested I write a Skills Based Resume!
While to Veronica this was probably common knowledge and she probably does not even remember telling me that. But for me, it was that break I needed to make sense of how to make a resume work for me. A.K.A.- My Aha! moment!
Google, my best online friend, led me to many templates where I could simply fill in some blanks and have a professional-looking resume! While some of you experienced resume writers may scoff at the idea that I simply filled in some blanks…and maybe you are right, but hey it worked and I applied to many places with the resume! Whether it was a good resume or not, at least it got me moving.
From there I have altered and tweaked my resume many times. In fact I learned from a great gal, Kim, over at Work at Home Mafia that keyword stuffing is not only good for writing online content but also for your resume! Well, maybe not so much “stuffing” but by including some of the keywords found in the job ad you can increase your odds of at least having your resume considered! Kim shared in her article “Are You Learning From Your Mistakes?” that some companies even use an automated system that seek out certain words and qualifications. This is probably especially true for work-at-home companies who receive thousands of applicants a month.
So, each time you send in a resume, make sure it is unique and appropriate to the company you are applying by highlighting relevant experience and show how you fit their qualifications.
Your resume is your first impression, make it the right one.
 

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Bailey

April 25, 2011 at 11:37 am

The important thing is to start. You can always improve it, but not having one prevents you from even getting started in so many areas. Even when you have a job lined up some places still want a resume.

Chrystal Mahan

April 25, 2011 at 1:55 pm

One of the college I had to take was a 6 week lesson on resume writing. I found it pretty boring, but liked it when my professor sent my resume back with tips and tricks to make it better!

Anna

April 25, 2011 at 2:31 pm

These are great tips! I never knew that you should put keywords in your resume, but that does make a lot of sense! And thanks for the link back to me 🙂

Kim

May 9, 2011 at 4:49 pm

Thanks for the link over to the Work At Home Mafia. I learned along time ago as a corporate manager that I was looking for certain key abilities and skimming over it for keywords makes life much simpler. Plus HR knows you match the job description to a tee.