Why You Need A Resume Right Now
Many professionals believe that they do not need a resume and that they can simply continue to land good jobs through business contacts. Not having a resume is usually a mistake, as it’s a great way to get your foot in the door to bigger and better jobs.
A resume is a way to make a first impression with people that you may know or not know and it allows them to consider your professional and educational qualifications and how you can be incorporated into their business scheme. Your resume is a detailed account of how far you’ve come since you started working, and it can persuade employers to help you continue to move up and towards your career goals.
The reason most of us write a resume is because it’s needed to get that first job, but then many people don’t find it necessary to continue to update their resume as they change jobs, receive promotions, or take on new job responsibilities. This is a common oversight, though it can be a costly one. Updating your resume should be an ongoing process, as it’s easy to forget the tasks, skills, and responsibilities you incur over a long period of employment with one company.
You need to constantly update and detail what you do so that if you are ever in a position where you need or want to find another job, you can utilize every ounce of experience you have obtained in your current position. It’s amazing how much we often forget to mention in our resume if we don’t update it frequently, and this can cost us jobs and money when we are offered jobs.
A resume is as much for ourselves as it is for future employers, as it reminds us of everything we’ve done so that we have the confidence to continue to reach higher, to set new goals, and to truly be a success. A resume is a record of where you’ve come from and how hard you’ve worked to get where you are, so even if you don’t feel the need to write a resume for employment purposes, you should do it for yourself so that you don’t forget one skill, certification, or experience that you’ve obtained to get you to where you are.
The main reason you need a resume is because most employers now require a resume along with an application. If you don’t have a resume you will often fail to pass the employers first test. A resume is something that most employers associate with high quality people, individuals that have the experience, motivation, and credentials to get the job done.
If you submit an application without a resume attached, many employers won’t even give your application consideration. This means that everyone needs a resume to get the attention of prospective employers even if you’re not applying for your dream job. Employers truly do use resumes as a screening process, and often times it doesn’t matter how well qualified you are, if you can’t bother to submit a resume they won’t bother to consider you for employment.
Whether it’s fair or not, having a resume gives you an air of credibility. Writing a resume doesn’t have to be all that difficult, so there is no reason not to do it. It’s something that can take an hour or less of your time, and the benefit of being able to submit a resume is well worth the time it’ll take you to write it up. Most employers will admit that those that have resumes attached to their applications are more attractive, so make yourself more attractive by writing a resume.
In addition to writing a resume you’ll also want to write a great cover letter. A cover letter is something that you will attach to the resume to explain what you are applying for and why. Writing a cover letter should be an easy and straightforward process and will help give your resume even more professional credibility.
If you aren’t sure as to how to write a resume, there are plenty of resources to make the process easier for you. The Internet can be a wonderful resource as there are many instructional articles as to how you can write a simple and effective resume that will impress employers and make them more likely to set up an interview with you.
If you are intimidated by the idea of writing a resume, that’s still not a reason not to have a resume to give to employers. There are actually professional resume writers out there that can take your information and format it so that you’ll have a very effective resume. In fact, if you’ve never written a resume before and you aren’t sure how to start the process, you can learn a lot by having one written for you.
Resume writers actually specialize in writing resumes for individuals that need help presenting themselves well on paper to prospective employers, so there is no reason to feel shy or uncomfortable about approaching a professional resume writer.
A resume really is an important employment tool that cannot be overlooked. If you want to apply for and be seriously considered for jobs, you need a resume. So many employers screen applications based on their resumes, so you cannot afford not to have one. Your resume is an ideal way to give employers insight into how you could fit into their company and what a great job you can do based on past experience and motivations.
A resume speaks to your professional credibility, which is important if you want to land quality jobs. So, if you don’t have a resume get writing! If you need help, help is available! There is no reason to hold yourself back, submitting a resume is the best way to get an interview and land a great job.