Do You Really Need to Use Past Tense in Your Resume?

Do You Really Need to Use Past Tense in Your Resume?Resume writing is an art, and the art of resume writing is in the eye of the beholder. There are many differing opinions on what constitutes a great resume. Some people believe that you need to use present tense in your resume. I think using past tense is more beneficial.First, it helps the potential employer see that you have been successful in the past. Second, it gives the employer the impression that you are a student of the program rather than a student of the job.Using past tense is a positive thing because it gives the impression that you are just starting your career. It lets the employer know that you are still new to your current job. Present tense simply shows that you are the same person that you have always been and you are already moving up in your career.When you go into resume writing, you should start out by looking at your personality and skill set. After you know how you will represent yourself, then you can start considering whether to write your resume in past tense or present tense.For instance, if you are taking personal development courses, you may want to write a resume that shows that you have worked with personal development programs. Past tense resumes are less likely to be scorned as long as you clearly show that you have taken courses in personal development.Once you know that you want to write a resume in past tense, you may want to jot down some of your accomplishments in order to achieve a well-rounded and realistic long term objective. There are many, many programs that help people prepare for future jobs, and you want to make sure that you include them.Another way to include a future job objective is to give your most recent job a detailed description of what you accomplished. This is a very effective way to show the potential employer exactly what you can do for him or her. You also want to include information on the position that you are applying for.The key to determining whether you should use past tense or present tense is to give the employer the impression that you are a valuable candidate. If you do this, you will find that your chances of getting hired are greatly increased.