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How to write a resume for a Defense Contractor job. Resume writing made easy. Learn how to gain an advantage when applying to defense contractor jobs.




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The Power Resume Students will be for sure able to Create their own Resume master piece. Once you have learned the tools and techniques of writing a POWER Resume, getting an interview call will become a cake-walk for you. It does not matter if you already have a successful career or are just starting out as a fresh graduate. In this course you will learn the details about WHAT MUST be done to get that DREAM JOB Interview


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Putting it all together - Building Your Resume

There are basically only 2 kinds of resumes you need to consider....the reverse chronological resume layout and the functional resume.  Everything else is just a fad.  There are good reasons for using one or the other, but generally, if you have a good solid record that goes from one decent job to the next this is what you use.  If your work history is fragmented, or you took a burger flipper job for more than a couple of years to make ends meet, you'll want to use the functional resume. 

Now is NOT the time to get all artsy and creative.  May Dad, who was an expert job hunter would try that now and then, but always went back to the mainstay. It's not a bad thing to look like all the other resumes - it's a plus.  Where you wow them is with your accomplishments. 

Time to learn how to dress up your reverse chronological resume so that it stands out from the crowd. 

We'll give you a checklist of things to include and how to include them.

Why a Chronological Resume Format?  Because it highlights your work history!

You list your most recent or current position first. Then you work your way back in time to include previous jobs in reverse chronological order - hence, the name of this resume format. Employers care most about what work you did before, so it's the best layout for most job seekers.  It also saves recruiter time, since it is a common layout and their time is valuable.

 Job hiring has gone high-tech in a lot of larger companies. Employers use Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) for scanning job applications.  ATS software extracts key information about your career and looks for keywords in your resume. The ATS has been designed, primarily, to read reverse chronological resumes that is the best style to submit since the software won't miss anything.  

Have a look at the differences between three resume formats: combination, functional, and reverse chronological.

So What do I include?

The whole point of resume formatting is to organize the content you want to include for the recruiter’s convenience so he can see what you've done at a glance.  The best way to do this is divide it into sections.

Summary and Objective = A resume summary highlights your career progress and achievements. (I did THIS)....A resume objective, alternately, shows what skills you’ve mastered and how you’d fit in. (I have these skills you NEED). If you have job-relevant work experience, go for the resume summary. Highlight the most important aspects of your career and your qualifications. Keep it short, sweet, and only a couple of sentences long.

If you’re an entry-level candidate, a career changer, or if you’re writing a student chronological resume, use the objective. Tell about your skills that will make you perform well. Focus on the benefit your employer will gain by hiring you.

Work experience = What you've done and when you did it. Put the most recent jobs at the top and work your way down. If you only stayed at a job a short time, and it's not really relevant, you can skip it. Concentrate on the ones that apply best for the job you want NOW.

Describe what you did...don't worry about keywords now, just make a list. Now flesh out that list to include ACCOMPLISHMENTS - something special you did on the job nobody else thought of or was willing to do. Use action words to keep the interest up.  Nobody wants to be bored to death.  Even if it was a boring job, you can make it sound unique and exciting.  I filed papers becomes I used an organized system of categorizing specific paperwork.  Dress it up but DO NOT lie.  Remember the quip about the garbage man being a sanitation engineer. Working from home becomes Telecommunicating. The details matter, but keep it as short as possible.

Also give concrete examples of your achievements. Tell how MUCH you increased sales (give an amount), how many more subscribers you brought to the publication ...give NUMBERS or ranges.  Be as specific!  Say 5+ years experience is better than extensive experience or reduced costs by 25% is better than significantly reduced costs.

If you have little or no work experience, use a modified reverse chronological resume for students and new graduates - put your education section above your work experience and elaborate more on your coursework and goals.

Education = Formal schooling - this could include College or High School, but may also include relevant courses taken, on-the-job training and other skills learned. Include the highest level attained (if you have College, no need to include high school for example).  Only include the pertinent courses to this job application.  (The underwater basketweaving class does not qualify unless you are applying for a scuba job!). Generally, this is what you'll include:

• The type of your degree.
• Your major.
• The name and location of your school.
• Your honors, awards, and other relevant achievements.

Add conferences, specialized training, even employer paid training (you were obviously a valuable enough employee to send to training!)

Contact information = what it says...how they can contact you.

• Full name, 
• Email, 
• Telephone number,
• Web addresses - ie: Linked in Profile
• Licence number,
• Your home address (optional).

Always include a link to your LinkedIn profile. If you don't have one, sign up! Almost 9 out of 10 recruiters expect you to be on LinkedIn.

Skills = what specific skills can you bring to the job - make a list. Additional languages are always important these days, as are computer skills.  Most of all skills related to the job you are applying for, especially if they are transferrable. 

Additional information = this would include everything else that may apply - your professional associations, volunteer jobs, Interests, certifications. Do NOT put anything controversial here - If you are a Communist sympathizer, or hate puppies. If you can't say something great, don't say anything at all.

• Certifications
• Industry awards
• Publications
• Participation in conferences
• Industry blog
• Volunteer experience
• Hobbies and interests

Format = Resume file format matters! Save it as a PDF so nothing scrambles, and also have it in a recent Word format.  Always double check the job description and make sure the employer accepts PDFs. If they don’t - send a Word resume.

Put the most important info at the top because most recruiters will not even read the rest...they'll glace to see if anything in it catches their eye, and then may read further. 

To maximize your chances of landing an interview, you need a separate resume for each job application.  Yes, a separate resume.  Save a master in a word file on your computer and tweak it for EACH AND EVERY job you apply for.  Yes, it's a lot of work, but you will find that you'll be more likely to get THE job. Sending out tons of identical resumes is akin to throwing stuff at a wall to see what will stick...a huge waste of time! So instead of wasting a lot of time, go for the jobs you really want and put more effort into perfecting those resumes.

Have someone who is good at spelling and grammar to check your finished master for errors.  Don't just trust spellcheck...spellcheck will think "I maid ice cream" is perfectly ok...it's not. Spelling and grammar matter! 

The layout you choose needs to look uncluttered, one page long (most of the time - unless you're an exec) and be clean and polished. Paragraphs must line up, use Word's shading to add some spiffiness and highlight important areas. Don't cram too much on the page. The order should be most important (and relevant) first.  Hobbies and interests last. Don't worry about references, have those ready to hand to the interviewer. 

'Keywords'  Look at the advertisment you are responding to - they will use various words to describe the position.  Put these words into your resume! It has to make sense of course, but you want to use them whenever possible.  You say 'duties', but the ad says 'responsibilities' - use responsibilities. If the ad mentions something you've done in the past, make sure you include that specific job and responsibility in your resume. Tweak your resume with words the potential employer is using in the ad. When reading the job ad, look for keywords related to your responsibilities and skills. Make sure to use those keywords on your resume.

Once you've sent out your resume:  FOLLOW UP! It shows that you’re genuinely interested in the job offer and not just applying to anything you see. And some employers won’t even consider your application if you fail to follow it up with an email or a phone call. It's hard to take possible rejection, and you are NOT wasting their time...many people get the job because they DID follow up!