We often hear of the dos and don’ts of resume writing when it comes to white collar jobs. Yet, even in the trade world, a well-written and well-presented resume can go a long way at helping you secure your dream position.
Resumes are an advertising board for yourself. You want to ensure you put your best foot forward and make it as easy as possible for your potential employer to envision you working at their company.
Oz Labour Solutions has a few tips to help you update and improve your resume.
Know What Employers Want
Before starting on your resume, it’s important to understand things from an employer’s perspective. When it comes to trade jobs, they are likely looking to know that the applicant has:
- Enough field experience to suit the role
- Trade skills from previous experience that are transferable to the new role
- Achievements that show positive contribution in a previous role
- Demonstrable soft skills like communication and teamwork
Training, Education & Necessary Licenses
List:
- all the schools/courses you attended including dates
- all licences and certification including when you attained them
This information should be well-placed so that it is easy to find for the reader.
Responsibilities, Key Skills & Achievements
Sometimes writing all your skills and achievement can be taxing and overwhelming. If you get stuck and unsure, try to avoid copying your previous job description. Those tend to be vague and don’t do enough to highlight what you can bring to the table.
Focus on specific events or situations that showcase how you’ve put a certain skill in practice or a situation that helped you gain an achievement. Always provide concrete examples to substantiate any listed skill.
Tailor Your Resume
No one likes long-winded resumes. At most they should be between 2-3 pages. Something that should help keep your resume concise is tailoring them to the job you are applying for. Read and understand what that position entails so you can include information that shows your ability to be an efficient worker.