The Resume Objective
The objective of a resume is to secure an interview. To better your chances of landing the interview – you need to ensure that your resume is professionally laid out and includes information that will grab the employer’s attention. Below are the key sections that should be included in a resume.

The Structure of a Winning Resume
*Contact Information
*Resume Objective or Summary of Qualifications
*Keywords
*Accomplishments
*Career History
*Education and Training
*References or Quotes

Contact Information
Of course you need to start your resume with your contact information, including name, address, telephone number, email address and cell phone number (if you have one). You’ll want to include this information on each page of your resume in case the pages get separated. You do not need to include such things as marital status, gender, race or religion. In fact, in most countries it is illegal for an employer to request this information from you in order for you to make your application or even during the interview phase.

Resume Objective or Summary of Qualifications
If you are changing careers or new to the work force, it is important to include an objective statement but make sure it doesn’t sound too self-serving. You’ll want to keep it simple, targeted and to the point. One sentence is sufficient. An example would be, “To secure a position as a Customer Service Representative with a company that values dedication, team work and attention to detail.” If you are experienced in the field where you are seeking employment, you can shorten your objective statement down to your most recent job title. You would then write a paragraph which summarizes your qualifications, including your years of experience, your education, the industries you’ve worked in and any soft skills that would be of value to the employer, such as “pays attention to detail.”

Keywords Section
To support the above sections of your resume, you’ll want to include a section with keywords or phrases that describe your skills. To get ideas, you can scan job postings on the internet for the types of jobs you are interested in and see which phrases or words keep coming up in describing the type of individual these ads are looking to attract.

Accomplishments
You’ll then want to include an accomplishments section. This section helps to personalize your resume and gives you credibility. Try to include a minimum of 2 to 3 work or academic related accomplishments that demonstrate how you’ve helped an organization save time, save money or make money. You can also include awards in this section.

Career History
You career history should follow a reverse chronological format. Start each sentence with an active verb and avoid making it sound like a laundry list of job duties that you’ve performed. Include quantitative (using numbers) and qualitative statements (using descriptions) whenever possible.

Education and Training
If you’re a new graduate, you should include your education section near the top of your resume. Or, if the type of position that you are applying for values education include this section should appear near the top of your resume. An example would be a teaching position. However, as you progress further along in your career, your education section can be moved towards the end of your resume as more value is placed on work experience from an employer’s viewpoint.

References or Quotes
Almost everyone includes this statement, “references available upon request” on their resume. Resist doing this because you want your resume to stand out from the crowd. Instead, you can use quotes from past job performance reviews or reference letters. You can even include quotes from famous people that you admire that convey a positive message to the employer about the type of employee you are.

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