You see a new job and you want to apply - but you have not updated your resume since ..... Crafting the perfect resumé takes time, focus and commitment. Try not to leave updating or writing it until you are in job- seeker mode. Get cracking on updating it now and it will get you the result you want - job interviews.

Times have changed, and the way you can apply for a job now includes uploading online applications as well as sending your resumé on email or in the post with a covering letter.

The content required of a resumé has not really changed.

A resumé is your employment ad. It should ‘sell' your skills and achievements. It should highlight what you have experienced professionally in the past as well as demonstrate what you could be suitable to do in the future. It needs to tell a story while being succinct. It needs to be able to stand out from your competitors while not being too long.

It should be written for the reader - the employer or recruiter - and it should be tailored so that they can find the information they are looking for at a glance.

So where do you start?

I encourage you to get a blank piece of paper and work through the following steps in order to create the perfect resumé for you.

Your resumé's objective

Let's consider this first. The objective of your resumé is to secure an interview for the role for which you are applying. It is a competitive market for most job seekers right now, so you can imagine that employers are inundated with responses to their job ads. You need to make sure that you are clear on what your resumé needs to do for you and tailor it and your covering letter accordingly. This may mean having a resumé on file that feature all of your skills, achievements and working experiences, but that you modify and tailor it to suit each role for which you apply.

There is more work involved in doing this, but it will pay dividends. The approach of flicking out a standard ‘one-size-fits-all' resumé to 10 jobs on a Monday morning will not pay off.

The advertisement

A job advertisement usually features a bit about the company or sector and an outline of the position, how it fits into the business and what skills and qualifications it requires. This is where you need to grab a highlighter pen and make sure that the essential requirements of the role are covered by your resumé. If the reader cannot find what they are looking for, your application could be overlooked.

Structure

Everyone loves a template and it is a good way of having a guide to what should be in your resumé and where. Typically the template should make provision for:
• personal details - name, contact email (professional preferred) and mobile number. A good place to put this is in the header of the document, because that then allows you more space for the content.
• career summary - a brief introductory paragraph that explains how you got to where you are and what you want to do going forward. This can be in a box/table that helps ‘introduce' your skills and career objectives.
• education/professional qualifications - include dates and pass marks or scores if applicable.
• technological and system skills - a list summarising what you have experience in using and at what level.
• employment experience/responsibilities
- a brief account of the things you have to do day-to-day in order to do your job (this is not the place to copy and paste your job description!). This section should also include your achievements in that role and the things you do over and above your usual role. These need to be qualified
and quantified.
• referees and hobbies - my personal preference is to include these if they are relevant to the position.

Responsibilities

As mentioned above, this is not the place to copy in your job description. Your employment should be presented as a walk- through of how you do your role. You should aim to list your responsibilities in the order that they take up your time. Remember to include projects that you have been involved in and cross-divisional meetings into which you may have had input.

Achievements

This is the place to really sell how well you do your job. You need to quantify and qualify your achievements. The key here is to state what you achieved and provide a brief insight into how you went about it. In an interview you will often be asked about your achievements, so make sure those you choose to highlight are relevant to the role for which you are applying and that you are comfortable in saying "I am good at this....".

Distributing your resumé

As mentioned earlier, the way people can look for a job has changed. There are ads in the paper, magazines, online job boards and you may even find out about a job through a friend or associate.

I cannot emphasise enough the need to tailor your resumé for each role for which you apply.

Crafting the perfect resumé takes time, focus and commitment, follow the steps above and when a new job does appear on your radar you will be ready to apply.

Sally-Anne Blanshard is the Director of Nourish Coaching and enables clients to manage their career path and develop job search strategies that work. www.nourishcoaching.com.au