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your future
Strengthening the Community since 1988
Your resume is your opportunity to make a good impression.
You need to change your resume every time you apply for a different job. Make it relevant!
It’s important to think about what the employer is looking for when writing your resume. Make it easy for the employer to see that your skills and experiences are well matched to the advertised job.
A resume is both a marketing tool and a history of your work, learning and life experience.
List if you have a drivers licences and reliable transport
– Essential for some jobs
A resume that works is a resume that gets you an interview.
Include your name, address, mobile and email (keep your email address & voicemail simple and professional) – ensure details are current.
Experience, education and work history – start with what you are currently doing and work backwards.
Include a brief statement of responsibilities (tasks performed) under each employment entry.
Don’t include minor or irrelevant duties. Omit duties from early jobs if they are not particularly relevant to the work your are seeking.
Avoid inconsistent formatting, sub-headings & punctuation.
Revise the grammar, get someone else to proof read the spelling (and remember, the spell check doesn’t always pick up mistakes).
If you have done a lot of voluntary work, you may wish to include a separate heading as either community services or volunteer work. Contributing to the community in unpaid work shows excellent work ethic to an employer. Think of the employability skills you have gained.
Don’t use too much colour or too many different font types and sizes, it looks too gimmicky.
Keep all your information on your resume as accurate as possible, you don’t want to get caught out – don’t say you can type 75 wpm when you can only type 30 wpm.
Think about your achievements – have you ever won a school award, sporting award, competition etc. It takes a proactive person to achieve and employers want to employ people who are continually striving to achieve and learn.
Provide at least 2 current referee names and their contact details and make sure they know you have included them on your resume. Work referees are preferred but if you don’t have then you could use personal referees (sports coach, school teacher, volunteer supervisor).