(Newswire.net — August 9, 2019) — Nowadays, almost every job requires applicants to submit a resume. And the question that begs for an answer is this: are resumes necessary? Well, a big YES! A good resume is like a get-out-of-jail card — one that gets you out of trouble. If you do not have it, you lose a chance to go to the other side where the grass is greener and the sky is brighter! So what are the reasons resumes are essential in the business and corporate world? Let’s find out.
Are Resumes Necessary?
So, are resumes necessary? A resume is extremely necessary since it introduces you to companies, presents your accomplishments and much more.
Why Write a Resume?
1. A Resume Introduces You to Companies
Even before a company sees you personally, your resume introduces you to them. Without a resume, companies won’t have even the slightest idea that you exist. Sure, you may be a computer genius, a salesman who can sell anything, or a brilliant director, but if you do not prepare a resume, you are as good as invisible to them!
2. A Resume Presents Your Accomplishments
Let’s say you have graduated from college and have entered the workforce. You spent years building up your experience in the field and had the chance to get promoted to middle management where you acquired a range of titles, enlarged territory, and extra responsibility. In this case, you can say that the internal HR knows you through personal files.
But what if, for some reason, you need to change companies or jobs? This is where an excellent resume enters the scene; it is your game card necessary to gain access to the next level. That’s why a resume should not be anything mediocre — it should present your achievements, accomplishments, and experience in a way impactful enough to get you a seat for an interview.
Good Resume vs. A Piece of Paper
So what sets a good resume apart from an impressionless piece of paper? You can come across a range of resume methods for preparing one, but as mentioned above, a good resume is one that emphasizes your education, skills, professional career experience, and achievements and accomplishments. Whether or not you will be called in for an interview is based on the information presented in your resume.
The main objective when passing a resume is for you to receive a call for an interview, so if you need to use jargons appropriate and unique to a specific industry, by all means, do it. A good resume is concise but substantial; a page or a couple is enough to hold all the necessary information you want to share.
Parts of a Professional Resume
1. Summary of Qualifications
An excellent resume often starts with a Summary of Qualifications. This part is made up of at least three sentences that briefly defines your work experience. Make sure to include action words such as strong communication skills and keen leadership abilities in your Summary of Qualifications.
2. Areas of Strength
It is also ideal to include your Areas of Strength, which are keywords that present at a glance the areas you are most experienced in. Such keywords may include Staff Training, Audit, or Operations Management.
3. Professional Experience
What you should never leave out of a resume is the Professional Experience part. This part holds the most important information that many companies focus on — your present and previous employers, titles, employment dates, job responsibilities, and achievements. It is recommended to write a brief description of your responsibilities, then separately list your accomplishments under each title.
Your list of accomplishments and achievements under each position will make you stand out from the rest of the candidates and communicate to a potential employer what you can contribute to the company. This list may demonstrate that you helped the company make money, reduce expenses, minimize employee turnover, etc. You can also elaborate on this portion when you’re writing your cover letter as well.
4. Education
If you are a recent graduate (within the past two years), you can put this section at the top of your resume; otherwise, it should come after Professional Experience. This section should include a summary of your degree and qualifications.
5. Other categories that you can include that employers expect, if necessary, are Professional Memberships and/or Industry Training.
Bottom Line
So are resumes necessary? Of course! A professionally written resume is your greatest weapon during a job search that’ll help you get that first interview. Take the time to create a strong, impactful resume and you will be one step closer to your new career from your new employer!