A Recruiter's Guide to Resume Writing

Do you keep a record of all of your work experiences? Not in resume format, but perhaps in MS Excel or MS Word? You should. Every one of us who participates in the working world, whether teacher or engineer, dog groomer or physician, should keep a running history of every job we've ever held; this journal should include key facts such as:

-Technologies and tools used on the job (Did you configure Cisco routers? Are you a QuickBooks expert?) and what year(s) you used the technology or tool
-Education (typically this is a college, university, or trade school where you earned a degree, diploma, or certificate)
-Courses, Seminars, and Training attended, and who sponsored the event (i.e. certifying institution) with the specific date(s) of attendance
-Skills required for the job (did you write grants? Did you interface with clients?)
-Key responsibilities held (were you responsible for providing a monthly report to the CEO?)
-Significant projects, along with your role and the result of the project
-Your salary and any fringe benefits, such as a bonus or commission program
-Raises and dates each raise was received
-Precise dates of employment
-Include volunteer experiences, whether through your employment or on your own

You might be wondering why you should keep such information; you might even be wondering why you can't simply look at old résumés for this information. But does your resume contain ALL of this data? Do you remember the exact software you used in the job you held five years ago? Do you remember the salary of your second job after college? Probably not, if you're like most of us.

An employment journal can provide you with several advantages. First, you can keep track of your successes and growth, which can be a much-needed morale and self-esteem booster. When you're looking for a new job, whether out of need or want, keeping your morale positive and your self-esteem healthy is a priority. Recruiters and interviewers notice those candidates who are happy, mentally healthy, and confident; those are the candidates the interviewers will be drawn to and will rate more highly.