11 September, 2009 -
Welcome to a new feature on our newsletter, "The Resume Tip." In each edition I will be dispensing some useful tips on how to make your resume look better and help get you the interview. This edition's topic: bullet points.
This is a very simple change you can make to the format of your resume. Underneath your previous positions list your major responsibilities and give each responsibility its very own bullet point.
For example:
Company X, Anywhere USA 11/05-8/09
Receptionist
- Answered multi-line telephone
- Greeted all visitors
- Opened and sorted all incoming mail
- Maintained office filing systems
Adding bullet points to your resume is also one of the easiest ways you make your resume specific to the job for which you are applying. If the job you are applying for lists answering telephones as a major responsibility then you would want to list "Answered multi-line telephone" first, as in the example. However, if the job description emphasizes filing, then "Maintained office filing systems," should be at the top.
Make each bullet as specific as possible. Avoid vague encompassing terms such as, "Managed front office." Instead use the points to tell how you managed the office, as in the example above.
Also pay attention to the tense you use when describing your responsibilities. Unless you are currently at the position you should keep the bullet points in the past tense. These are responsibilites that you had in the past at your previous position. Make sure that the tense reflects that. The only exception to using the past tense is if you are still at that position. If you are detailing your current job use the present tense: "Answer multi-line telephone" vs. "Answered multi-line telephone."
Using bullet points to detail your responsibilities makes your resume easy for prospective employers to read. The easier your resume is to read, the more likely it is that it will be read. This is just the first step to getting hired!
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