Key Questions Your Resume Should Answer

Sometimes it's difficult to know just what a resume should address when writing it. While you know that you want to express the desire of being considered for a position, it is often challenging to know how to get this message across.

Of course, when you get resume help from a professional, the know-how is presented to you. However, doing it on your own isn't bad at all if you know the key questions your resume should answer.

1. Who Are You?

The first question you want to make sure to address is who you are. This does not mean simply offering your name and address; it means addressing who you are as a candidate, which is usually taken care of in the objective/summary. In this section, you want to tell the employer what you bring to the table as a strong candidate and why you should be hired above everyone else.

2. What Skills Do You Bring to the Table?

Another major question that should be addressed in your resume is what skills you bring to the table. If an employer hires you, they want to know exactly what skills you can hit the ground running with. This way, they will know which candidates will require the least training. If you have a lot of skills then it's important to list them all to rank yourself higher in the candidate pool.

3. Who Are Your Previous Employers?

The hiring manager is also going to want to know who you've worked for before. This is easily answered by providing a job history section that addresses where you've worked, your job titles and the length of time with each employer.

4. How Do I Know You're the Right Fit for the Position?

This question is extremely important. The employer has to know that you're not just a good employee, but the right employee for the job. This can be addressed by carefully reviewing the job posting and finding specific accomplishments show that you have already "been there, done that" when it comes to what they're looking for.

5. Are You an Overall Good Candidate?

The answer to this question can be addressed by you on the resume, but some of it will be addressed behind your back through contacting your references, performing background checks and even searching your name in Google. So on top of making sure that there are no red flags on your resume like job hopping, big gaps without explanation or even spending too much time at the same employer and in the same position, it's good to make sure your online presence is as clean as a whistle.

The good news is that if you successfully answer key questions in your resume, the employer should have no problem determining that you're the right person for the job. So give it a try and see how well it could work for you.