A well written résumé is an
important tool for obtaining an interview. 
A recruiter scanning through a stack of submitted résumés spends an
average of 10 seconds on each one before going to the next.  It is vitally important that what you present
in your résumé captures the attention
of the prospective employer in those 10 seconds.

A résumé should be no more
than one page.  It is a summary of your educational and work
experience, not your life history.  Your
résumé should contain your personal contact information as well, so that the
prospective employer can contact you if he/she wants to invite you to an
interview. 

Every
résumé should have one of two sections right at the beginning: an Objective or
a Summary.  For people just starting out
in the work force or those who do not have a lot of work experience an
objective statement should be written. 
For those who have already established a solid career and have prominent
work experience, a summary statement should be used instead.  A summary is basically a longer version of
the objective statement and can be very useful for impressing the recruiter
with the significant attainments one has already achieved in one’s work experience.

Be
sure to include all dates in your schooling and previous work experience.  To exclude any has the appearance of covering
up something you do not want the recruiter to know about, such as having been
fired from a job.  On the other hand,
those with extensive work experience do not need to expound at length on
details of work experiences and achievements that are not relative to the
position sought.  Only those details that
relate directly to the position you are applying for should be included.

When writing your résumé, ask a friend
or your spouse to look over it.  Nothing
impresses prospective employers less
than mistakes, grammatical errors and misspelled words on the very piece of
paper you are using to try to convince them that you are the best for the job.  Mistakes, grammatical errors and misspelled
words are a major reason why many résumés get rejected.  The recruiter will assume that if you are
that careless and sloppy on such an important document, you will be careless
and sloppy in any work you perform for the business.

Once
you have written your résumé, do not consider it a masterpiece that never needs
any more work.  Résumés should be
frequently updated.  Each job for which
you are applying will have a job description. 
After determining if you have the skills and experience to qualify,
modify your résumé to emphasize what you have to offer that meets their
requirements.  Take the job description,
reword it in your own words, and incorporate that into your résumé.

Some
jobs require that you fill out an application. 
Even when you are doing nothing but stopping by to pick up an
application, make sure that you present yourself in a way that is in keeping
with how the business employees are dressed. 
First impressions do make an impression. 
Make yours count!  (For this reason,
when you send in a cover letter and résumé, print them on good quality paper if
at all possible.)

WLC
is happy to provide several sample résumés for your instruction.  These are for instructive purposes only.  Do not just copy résumés you have found
on-line.  Bring some of your own
personality into it.  A unique, original
résumé is more likely to catch the attention of the recruiter.