Writing a resume is a daunting task, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. The entire resume is a nightmare to write if you have no idea on what you are about to engage in. However, if you take it one section at a time, you’ll find it a lot easier and less intimidating to write your own resume.
One of the sections you should particularly focus on is work history. It is said that this is where hiring managers find a lot of your value and decide if you are the perfect match for the job position. This section, the work history or professional background, is where you are allowed to detail what you did in your previous employment.
There are lots of things to consider when writing your work history. However, the primary factor you should consider is the balance. Your accomplishments, job positions, and responsibilities should be balanced in your resume. Listed below are some tips to help you balance your work history.
Four Effective Tips to Balance Your Resume’s Work History
1. Choose only the most significant and relevant information from your professional background to include in your resume.
Keep in mind that not all information from your work history should be included. There are some jobs that are just irrelevant to the position you are applying for and are taking up precious space in your resume.
2. Organize all necessary information to place in your resume’s work history.
Section the information into either job positions, departments worked in, or skills and accomplishments. Use appropriate headers/headings to effectively present all significant information.
3. Do not overuse bullets. Always remember that hiring managers often times get bored on the sixth bullet.
So limit your bullets into six. Again, choose only the specific information to include and prioritize the information. Place the most relevant on the first bullets.
4. If you were designated in more than one position in a company, and all positions are relevant to the job you are currently applying for, then you should include all of them in your resume.
Sticking to the chronological order, highlight the name of the company and the years you worked for it. Below it, list all the positions you held in the company, the years you worked in that position, and the location (if you were relocated).
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