28 Mar Your Résumé: Making a Great First Impression

Not too long ago, one Career Solutions counselor received an email from a client who had enrolled in our program in January. She had been job searching on her own for a while and was not having success landing interviews. Her computer skills were fairly good, but she did not have a résumé to give employers.

Soon after meeting with her counselor, she attended our Digital Literacy classes – including Computer Basics, Online Job Searching and Basic Résumé. In the Basic Résumé class, she used the worksheet we provided to start building an effective résumé that showcased her skills and experiences in a way that would get employers’ attention.

It worked!

Soon after completing the classes, the client submitted her application and résumé to a company nearby, and soon received a phone call from the employer scheduling her for a job interview. Putting her qualifications and skills at the top of her résumé made a big difference to the employer when they were narrowing down their list of candidates for the position.

The client went on to complete the interview, was offered a job, and has since started in her new position. She asked us to tell everyone: taking the résumé class is worth it!

Here are a few tips if you are ready to get started building (or just improving) your own résumé:

• Include all of your contact information so employers can reach you easily.
• Keep important points toward the top of your résumé.
• Include keywords that fit the job listing or the occupation.
• Be concise. Use bullet points to highlight your skills and abilities.
• List accomplishments and skills, not just job duties on your resume.
• Use a standardized font like Times New Roman (10-12 point).

Becky Currier is the Assistant Centers’ Manager for Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee. Prior to joining Goodwill, she was a Career Services Director for five years and has over ten years of experience in the staffing industry. She has a bachelor’s degree in marketing education with a minor in secondary education.