by JULIE COX

Whether you have decided to write your resume yourself or hire a professional resume writer, you will need to understand the resume-writing process to get the best resume possible.

Anytime I write a resume for a client, I schedule a one-on-one consultation to get some basic information on their career and professional history. I always start out the conversation by asking, “tell me what kind of position you are looking for and what direction you see your career going”. Occasionally I will get a client who says, “I don’t know, what do you think I have the most skill in?”, or “I was thinking sales, or marketing, or maybe IT or operations management.” Imagine writing a resume with those marching orders!

The best and strongest resume is focused and targeted toward either one type of job or a narrow niche. If you are confused about what you want to do, so too will be the hiring manager after they read your resume. You will be passed on for someone who is excited about the job they have to offer. So, if you are a new or recent graduate, how do you focus your resume? One of the best ways is to go job shopping before you write your resume. Find job search websites that serve your industry. There are some like Indeed that curate from other sites and post jobs directly. If you are interested in any particular companies, look directly on their websites. And, don’t forget LinkedIn – we will dedicate a post to optimizing and using LinkedIn. LinkedIn is mandatory for any business major who is aggressively job hunting. Many companies recruit exclusively through LinkedIn so you don’t want overlook that job search tool. For now, make sure you have an active account and use it to find open positions.

As you go through the jobs, make sure that you are looking at appropriate positions for your degree, experience level and skills. If you are a new graduate look at entry level jobs not management positions. Read the descriptions thoroughly to see which ones pique your interest the most. Which ones can you envision yourself doing? Think about the industry you want to work in and what kind of company that interests you. A finance major can work in almost any industry not just finance and banking. Your first job could very well impact your entire career in ways that you are not even aware of, so choose wisely and try not to settle.

Once you have identified a handful of jobs that you are excited about applying to, you can begin to think about writing your resume. Hopefully the positions are all common enough for you to be able to identify and prioritize the same key words and skills in the ads. Once you have the skills and qualifications the positions are looking for written down, think about what you have done in previous jobs, in clubs at school, in classes, and special projects that speak to those qualifications. These are the achievements that should be highlighted in your resume and the skills and accomplishments are your key words.

Now it is time for Step 2 – Check it out here – STEP 2: Identifying Your Skills and Accomplishments