Money Monday: Get Your Résumé Noticed

WSVN -- Desiree Gonzalez is tweaking her résumé.

Desiree Gonzalez: Terrifying, I think they're pretty terrifying."

She's looking for a job while she gets her master's degree at FIU.

Desiree Gonzalez: "I'm interested in working in career services as employer relations clerk. That's what my ideal job would be for now."

No matter what kind of job you're looking for, the experts say, 'Do your homework.'"

Yisell Cirion, FIU Career Counselor: "It's very important for them to research their industry and to customize the résumé as much as possible to the position that they're applying for."

Make sure your résumé is no more than two pages long. It should be easy to read, using bullet points instead of paragraphs for job descriptions. Also, see what employers are looking for and use those key words that will get their attention.

Yisell Cirion, "Key words can be anywhere from being 'detail oriented' to 'organized' to 'increased sales' or 'five years of experience,' so it would be certainly targeting the needs of the employer."

If you've been out of a job, try to fill in work history gaps with volunteer work.

Yisell Cirion: "It doesn't look good to an employer when you're not employed and you're not necessarily involved with any other activities. So it's important to go out there and volunteer because, not only are you filling in the gap, but you feel like you're being useful, you're taking the time to do something else."

Also, never include a photo or personal information in a résumé. Employers could discriminate. And never include references; that information should only be given to employers who are seriously considering hiring you. Finally, as time goes by, remember that your résumé will be changing and growing with you. Always make sure to get those changes critiqued before you send it out.

Desiree Gonzalez: "It's a work in progress. It's not something that you just do once. You've got to work on it."

And if you have story ideas for Money Monday, e-mail us at moneymonday@wsvn.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Ground Rules for an Effective Resume
http://www.ttgconsultants.com/effective-resumes/index.html