By Terika L. Haynes, DBA, MHA, FACHE
Faculty Member, School of Business at American Public University
Let’s face it–resume writing is a task that many people do not enjoy. But a great resume is invaluable for landing the right job. Here are six tips to ensure that you have a competitive resume.
- Summary
Instead of an objective, create a summary. The summary has several components:- A descriptive title of the type of position you are seeking.
- A list of competencies or expertise you have to offer.
- A list of five or six of your most impressive accomplishments during your career.
- Objective
If you have an objective listed, delete it. Contrary to popular belief, it does not belong on the resume. Instead, it is recommended that you use an objective fits that situation in a cover letter that is targeted to a specific job. - Contact Information
Make sure that your information is up to date and professional. Have an email address that reflects your name. Add your LinkedIn address and make sure your LinkedIn page is up to date with a good photo, all the information mirrors your resume, and that the page layout is very favorable. - Professional Experience
All work experience should have the position title and the company with city and state. In lieu of the standard bulleting, write a paragraph about the company and your job responsibilities. List the tenure dates at the end of this paragraph.
[Related: Incorporating Self-Employment On Your Resume] - Accomplishments
List bulleted accomplishments will help to delineate from job responsibilities. The accomplishments should be quantified with hard metrics whenever possible. - Formatting
Use a professional, easy-to-read font type. The margins should be one inch all around. Your name and page number should be at the top (use the header feature) of pages two and beyond.
[Related: Resume Facelift: How to Avoid Aging Yourself on Paper]
Hopefully these resume tips will help you to score the job you wish for! Best of luck and happy job hunting!
About the Author: Dr. Terika L. Haynes received her doctorate degree in Business Administration at the University of Phoenix. Dr. Haynes is a part-time adjunct faculty member at APUS. She teaches or has taught Business and Healthcare Administration courses at APUS. She has also taught Healthcare Finance, Entrepreneurship, Business Supervision, Management Capstones, Economics, Microeconomics, and Macroeconomics at other colleges and universities. Professionally, Dr. Haynes is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has worked with a number of healthcare and business professional organizations to promote professional development and ethical management practices.
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