Blue collar workers have a reputation of being, well…unsophisticated. Using a resume seems unnecessary to some. A well-written resume will speak volumes to an employer sifting through a huge number of candidates. If an employer can glance and see all of an applicants skills without spending time wading through a handwritten application, that applicant is likely to go to the top of the pile when hiring decisions are made.
Most tradesmen do their craft well. Some may not be into the writing it all down on paper necessary to promote themselves through tools such as a resume. Using a resume can be a great straightforward way to market skills for these individuals. Using several basic rules can make resume writing possible for those who don’t think they need a resume and those who just don’t like to write.
A resume is made up of several parts. First of all, contact information goes up top. If an employer can’t reach you, the rest of the work is pointless. Next, add the objective or job target. The summary of qualifications comes next. Your work history makes up the body of the resume. The final section is generally education, certifications, or licensure. Each one of these parts contributes a little something to the resume. Leave a part off and there may be a hole in the message you are trying to send.
The contact information section is pretty self-explanatory. Include: Name, address, phone number and e-mail if you use it. Just a note, if you are on the go constantly, it is okay to list that cell phone number. Another item to watch is the cutesy e-mail address, if you have one. An address such as: [email protected] is probably an address you should leave off of the resume.
The objective is a key part of the resume as well. If an employer does not know what job you are looking for, they may just toss your paperwork in the trash. Short and to the point works well in this section, “A position as a welder on a pipeline.” If you don’t really know what you want to do, perhaps now is the time to do some thinking. It is very difficult to showcase particular skills in a general way. A general statement is as bad as no objective, because it does not provide the employer any useable information.
The “Summary of Qualifications” section is difficult for many people. This section is the place to show off those skills and accomplishments. It is the “commercial” for your resume. Character statements such as, “reliable, honest, etc…” can be included as well. This is the spot to list years of experience, specific skills on equipment or tools, as well as supervisory experience. It gives you a chance to give the information without expanding too much.
The “Employment/Work History” section lists your work history. It is more than just a list. Make sure you tell more than job title and dates of employment. Tell what you did, how you did it and the results for each job. It may seem simple, but simple is better on a resume. Go back ten years, if your work history any longer, it probably is not relevant any more.
Finish off with the education, licensure, and certifications. Many jobs maintain requirements on these items. If you have them, it makes it easy to find them all in one place. You can mention these briefly in the summary of qualifications section, but for license numbers and specifics, list them here.
Finally, use a simple format. Paragraphs are fine, although some prefer using bullets. The resume templates used in many word processing programs are hard to read. Use a simple left-justified format with bold on the titles in a font no smaller than 10 point. Get someone more familiar with word processing to assist you if this is too difficult. However, make sure the words on the resume are yours, because you will be the one who has to live up to them. Good luck on your resume writing and your job hunt! A resume is one of the best tools for gaining well paying employment.
