(Percussion sounds emanating from who knows where while you listen to
cadence of words below.)It’s time to sell yourself.
May words light up way.
It’s now your chance to shine,
And it’s soon gonna be your day.
So make sure you show them
All many things you can do.
It’s now your chance to shine.
With a resume just for you.
No, no, no! Wait a minute! This isn’t kind of "RAP" that you should use for your resume. Although, there would be some shock value, and person doing paper screening would surely get a laugh and not likely forget your name. The WRAP to which I am referring is W, written wisely and well; R, review, rewrite, re-read; A, analysis and awareness; and P, proofread and proofread again.
The WRAP approach needs to envelope all that you are and all that you can be, as it specifically relates to position which you are seeking. In other words, you have to sell yourself, and don’t sell yourself short. Think of it as wrapping yourself up in a package that someone is going to open to find a pleasant surprise. Think of yourself as one person who can best fill position and one person who can demonstrate that fact to decision makers. Getting through paper screening process, and making sure your resume stands out, is first step in securing job you are after.
Here is a systematic approach (WRAP) you can use as you fashion a resume that genuinely and professionally reflects your Ability, Potential, Talent, Independence, Tenacity, Understanding, Determination and Exuberance. In other words, your APTITUDE.
W - Writing your resume may be one of most difficult and crucial chores that you can ever do for yourself. It calls for you to bring forth all of your "word-smithing talents" and apply all that you have ever learned about professional and quality written communication. Making decision about what to include and how to word it and display it, should not be done without carefully considering each phrase and word choice and its impact on overall document. Post It Notes (which have surpassed use of 3x5 cards) can be used to organize each of your thoughts or phases and can be put into an orderly sequence that describes your attributes to those who read that one or two page document.
In writing your resume you need to ask yourself a few questions, as a checklist of what you should consider. Did you do your homework? Did you find out all about your prospective employer or company? Did you choose a format (chronological, functional, targeted, etc.) that best packages your aptitude? Did you include your contact information at top of your resume? Did you include major categories of Education, Work Experiences, Other and References? With that done, start typing from your post it notes and get those words down on page. Yes, you will change it many times before you are finished. This is all a part of WRAP process that leads to next logical step of your packaging.
