Do Your Research
The knowledge and information acquired in research cannot be overemphasized when looking for gainful employment. Research provides information regarding the industry demands, the job requirements, and any other data necessary to secure the human resources position.
With that being said, you must research the position qualifications required by the hiring companies. Of course, each company and each job will have specific requirements, although common denominators can often be identified. You have to take careful note of these qualifications because your resume must closely adhere to them.
Most human resources jobs require a bachelor's degree, although supervisory and managerial posts will entail at least a master's degree plus a specified number of years' experience. Other personal characteristics like ''independent starter'' and ''team player'' will also be spelled out.
Together with your research on job qualifications, you also need to gather information about the companies you are applying to. Your resume must closely reflect their corporate cultures, if at all possible.
Gather Your Personal and Professional Information
Based on the employment qualifications, you can then gather the relevant personal and professional information that will secure the job. Thus, don't include seminars and workshops, previous job responsibilities, and duties that are irrelevant to the position. You don't want your resume to look chaotic and cluttered, filled with information just for the sake of it.
This is not to say, however, that you will discard professional information that can impress your prospective employers. This information includes leadership roles, management skills, and organizational talents.
Choose a resume Format
There are basically three resume formats that you can use: reverse chronological, functional, and combination. You have to opt for the resume style that highlights your strengths and downplays your weaknesses.
For example, a chronological resume is an excellent tool when you have a solid human resources education and background. On the other hand, a functional format is best when your education and experience are mostly disparate from the field of human resources.
To choose between resume formats, keep these characteristics in mind:
- The reverse chronological resume builds credibility by highlighting your professional experiences while demonstrating your career growth.
- The functional resume highlights the work experience and skills acquired in your previous jobs, which can be applied in the human resource job you are seeking now. Just list these jobs in reverse chronological order.
- The combination resume, however, can be repetitive. Thus, you must avoid this type as much as possible unless the prospective employer asks for it.
Start Writing Your resume
Now that you have everything you need, you can start writing your resume. You need to find a relatively quiet area to think through it, because it very well might be the defining moment of your career.
First, you must write the objective of your job search as it applies to the position you are seeking. Make it as short as possible as prospective employers prefer brevity in the resume but eloquence in the interview.
Second, you have to provide a sufficiently detailed work history. Details that must be included are names of your past and present employers, state and city addresses, and the dates of employment.
When it comes to the responsibilities of your jobs, be sure to utilize bullet points and paragraphs. To make them pop out, always use action verbs (i.e. accomplished, attained, completed, managed, produced, surpassed, etc.) that make them appear like significant accomplishments. However, strive not to repeat words to make your resume more exciting to read.
Also, if you have performed volunteer work for the community which demonstrates your relevant skills and talents, then include it. Just make sure not to be verbose, as your professional experience often has more weight than volunteer work.
No matter the work history that is included in your resume, don't make the grievous mistake of including your hobbies and interests as well as memberships in social and professional clubs, unless these apply to the position. Your resume must contain information that proves your value as a professional—nothing more, nothing less. Besides, there will be time to make personal relationships once you are employed.
Third, you must include complete education information including the name of each school you attended and the years in your resume. If you have relevant training and certifications, you can also include them, as these often show your willingness to learn more.
Fourth, prepare a draft and edit until you are satisfied with the results. You can even ask for feedback from professional headhunters and mentors, family, and friends to iron out the kinks in your resume. Always look out for misspellings and grammatical errors.
When you have successfully completed these steps in writing a resume, you are now ready to conquer the world of human resources!
