How to Prepare the Professional Experience Portion of the Resume
Depending on who you ask, everybody has a different idea of how the professional experience portion of the resume should be written. Should it be in the 1st person, implied 1st person, or 3rd person? Does it have to be entirely in the past tense, even if you are currently employed? The list is endless. While there are different ideas and theories on how it should be written, it must always be professionally written, articulate, streamlined, and concise. Here are some pointers to help you in drafting the professional portion of the resume.
1. What Tense Should I Use: The most effective way for drafting the resume is to use the implied 1st person tense. It reads the most professional and is easy on the eyes. For example, instead of writing “Prepares and implements cost-effective strategies,” you should write “Prepares and implements cost-effective strategies.” Also, when you are drafting your most current position, if you are still currently employed, it should be in the present tense. If you are writing the professional experience portion of a prior position – even if it was the most recent position – it should be in the past tense.
2. How long should each job section be: This answer will vary depending on whether you are a new or experienced applicant, have several achievements, or are an entry-level applicant with little experience. I usually recommend writing anywhere between 3 and 8 sentences. This varies on your experience level, but no matter what level of experience you have, remember – NO FILLER. It is important to note that the potential employer wants to know you experience, what you have done and what you can bring to the table. Therefore, do not use generalities and do not use fluffer.
3. Should I use bullet-points: Yes and no. It is important to use both paragraph and bullet-points in order to make the document most effective. If you write in all paragraph form, it may lose the reader and make it difficult to read. On the other hand, if you use just bullet-points, it will lose all effectiveness and make the resume just as hard to read.
4. What is the process: First, draft the job duties you performed. Then review the information and make sure it is in the proper form and grammatically correct. Next, you should draft the bullet-points, which should be examples of awards, accomplishments, and achievements. Then, review the achievements and select 2-4 of them to keep as bullet-points.
There are several other issues you need to be aware of in drafting your resume, but I hope this helps!
