To prepare your resume for a human resources career, you should review resume advice and draft your resume accordingly. You’ll also want to review human resources job postings, so that you have a good sense of the attributes employers seek. By following tips to write your job search resume, you can put together an application that will stand out.
Choose a resume format
If you haven’t previously worked in human resources or if you’re trying to change roles, consider using a functional or combination resume. That way, you can put the emphasis on your transferable skills. If most of your career to date has been in human resources, stick with a chronological resume. This will show your time in the human resources field and highlight your progression.
Consider the career path you’re pursuing
Focus on phrases and keywords relevant to your career path. If you’re focusing on compensation and benefits, play up your experience with payroll systems, compensation surveys and employment standards. If you’ll be recruiting workers in a particular demographic, emphasize relevant knowledge – if targeting Generation Y, highlight your experience with flex time, volunteering at work, non-traditional benefits and other areas. Sell employers on your relevant qualifications.
Emphasize your accomplishments
Instead of including a laundry list of responsibilities, focus on the problems you solved and the results you delivered. Wherever possible, use numbers – doing so shows that you’re results oriented.
Create a sales pitch
Work hard to create a winning resume career objective and cover letter, so that you sell your skills and experience to potential employers. If you’re going to work in human resources, you’ll likely sometimes find yourself in the position of matching the company to potential candidates, so it makes sense to understand how you fit in, too.
Include keywords
Human resources professionals draw from a wide variety of skills. No matter whether you come from a human resources background or not, you probably already have some of those skills. For ideas, spend some time reading job ads and human resources job postings. Try to include some of phrases from the “What skills do I need to begin a human resources career?” section.
Use numbers
Human resources professionals base their careers on numbers. Use numbers in your resume to give examples of how you added value to an organization. For example, you may have reduced training costs by 15 percent, increased job applications by 10 percent or cut employee attrition by three percent.
Get an edge
Review job postings for the positions you’d like to have, so that you know what employers want. Use social networking sites to make connections with people who can provide leads and references. And consider building an online brand, so that you can influence employers who look you up on the web. By going beyond what usual job seekers do, you can capture an employer’s attention.
Related to Preparing your resume
- Careers in human resources
- Training and Preparation for human resource careers
- Sample human resource resume
