Writing a Good Resume or CV - what can make the difference

Getting a job is no easy matter in todays highly competitive world and getting your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) right is absolutely key. Nearly all jobs will require you to submit a resume of your previous work and qualifications.

But a resume is more than just a list of what job you held and when - its a key piece of marketing that should tell the reader, in as short a form as possible, what skills you have and all the successful things you did for your previous employer(s).

A good resume will quickly and clearly identify who you are, your strengths and professional experience. Setting out a short 'Profile' of who you are at the start of a resume will tell the reader at the start who you are and some of those key strengths, that can then be detailed a bit further down within the page or so below.

A "Profile' will draw the reader in and should be used in conjunction with a good cover letter to get you past the first hurdle - that of the employer wanting to read more and not just throw the resume in the bin.

Following on from a profile there are two potential ways of describing your experience and skills - the traditional reverse chronological list of jobs by title, employer and dates or one just focussed on listing skills and then weaving professional experience into each skill heading.

Thus a skill heading may focus on Project Management and detail some of the successful projects you have accomplished over a number of jobs. Then another key skill, such as People Management could follow likewise.

This approach can be particularly good if you have had a large number of jobs and rather than list these a focus on 4-5 key skills across these could make the resume more succinct and stand out.

Another thing is to always be specific in your achievements - give figures wherever you can. If you saved $100,000 through some project then clearly state this.

Always keep the resume to the maximum of two sides of A4 paper - employers do not have time to read pages and pages and they will be put off by someone who cannot precisely and easily tell them about the key things they have achieved in their previous roles.

Consider tailoring resume's to each role you apply for or at least ensure you have a cover letter that highlights the areas that are critical to the role you are applying for.

Finally get someone else to read your resume for you before sending it out - apart from picking up on spelling and grammatical mistakes, they can advise on the general feel and language. Re-read it yourself - it is surprising how many little mistakes you can miss.