Writing a resume can be a daunting task. It requires a lot of time and dedication to make it a great marketing tool. The secret to a successful resume is to gear it toward the prospective employer’s needs.

Whether you want to update your resume or build a new one, here are a few important questions to ask yourself when writing your resume:

1. What is your career goal?
The answer to this question should include what career do you want to pursue based on your passion, skills and expertise. It is important to determine if you want to enter a new job or want a career transition or pursue a higher position as this will direct your job search as well as the content on your resume.

Once you’ve decided on your career choice, the first step is to customize your resume in each job/company to suit the job description and/or employer. This will help you highlight your key competencies, talents and experience in regards to the particular job you’re applying for.

2. What are your biggest achievements?
It is important to highlight what you accomplished, not just list your responsibilities. Think of the 3 to 5 biggest achievements that is relevant to your career goal. Did you work on a very successful initiative? Were you able to close a deal? They can be things that made a difference, or really stretched you out of your comfort zone, changed the way that the organisation did something, or required a lot of influencing. Remember to quantify your achievements to show value and real results.

3. What are your skills and expertise?
Identify your skills and make sure they are relevant — take your skills further by making them specific and pertinent to the job description. List your relevant technical and specialised skills and match them to the job. This question will also help you determine your value and contribution to the organisation. Add every possible keyword not only to your skills section but throughout your resume.

4. Does it Make You Stand Out?
Writing your resume is only the beginning; editing is the most important step. Everybody’s professional experience is unique, so you want to make sure your resume conveys yours. Remember, your résumé represents not only an overview of your qualifications and experience but should also reflect key aspects of your personality that will help you to stand out from all other applicants.

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If you require help with your resume, not matter what stage it’s at, just contact us today and show us what you’ve got!