Resume Writing That Wows Employers

Resume writing is not the same thing as writing a novel or writing a book of poetry. But to write a resume that will get you a callback, you need to write with a certain style. Believe it or not, some people choose to write funny resumes or resumes that sound sarcastic, cultured, or intellectual. Generally, applicants make these choices based on the job they are seeking. But even if you are looking for a regular, run of the mill job, having a unique resume style that follows the rules of grammar and WOWS employers is the first step toward getting an interview.

So, what is style? Style compromises how you write: your word choice, your sentence structure, your tone. Like most other pieces of writing, you need to let your audience dictate your style in a resume. So, if you are applying to work at a comedy club, you might try to be a little funny in your resume writing. Otherwise mirror the company culture.

If you are not seeking a job that requires a certain personality to be successful (i.e. comedian), study the culture of the organization that you hope to join. Are they more formal or do they tend to be informal in communication? What kinds of qualities do they emphasize in their employee publications and help wanted ads? Knowing this information can help you to understand how you should write your resume in a style that appeals to this group.

You can discover more about the culture of a company with a little investigation work. Visit their website, read their blog, read their employee blogs, follow them on twitter, and get inside their company communications on Twitter. See how they talk, what subjects are important to the company, and get a feel for their corporate culture through the language they are using.

The appearance and style of your resume must WOW employers. Even if you write wonderfully and have a great understanding of the company, you will not go far if you send a poorly styled resume. Instead, make sure your document is appealing to the eye. Use white space to offset text and make sure all sections are in perfect alignment. Another way to make your resume jump out is to use color resume templates like those from Resume Charisma. These will make your resume unique and they are designed to make your document easy to read. If you are looking for a way to make your resume pop, focus on the arrangement of the information and any borders and headings.

No matter how great your resume is, if you use poor English, misspell words, have typos or disjointed formatting, you will lose your WOW factor. If English is not your first language have someone who is fluent in English proof your resume. The same goes if your resume is in any other language you are not sure of. Use spell check and always have someone proofread your resume for errors. In this case the more eyes the better.

Finally, resume writing that WOWS employers uses the right words and specifics. Use power words for resume writing from the Resume Dictionary. Create statements that demonstrate your past accomplishments with specifics. When you are describing the last few jobs you had, the last thing you want to do is to be general. Discuss exactly what you did at each job that makes you a perfect candidate for which you are now applying. Use titles that capture the attention of the reader. Also, try to repeat keywords from the employer's job posting in your resume.

Copyright 2010 by Joe Beeswax Freely distribute this article but please leave article, author name, copyright info, and links intact.