Resume Tips

[DixieAngler]

Per Glenn's recommendation, here's some resume tips tailored to the angler seeking sponsorship.

In no particular order of importance:

1. If you or a friend are capable of using anything more advanced than Microsoft Word, that's what you should make your printed and emailed resume in. It should be something that can save into a PDF format. The reasoning behind this is that Word documents have become primitive looking to the eye, especially if held side by side to a well designed document.

2. Regardless of what you may think, a good resume needs some design elements, rather than just being a bulleted list of your accomplishments. Throw in some lines, make definitive margins; it will make your resume stand out.

3. All throughout our careers, we've been told by career consultants and resume builders to always put the most recent thing in a list of jobs or activities. This is simply not true and is not what is really important to employers or sponsors. What should come first on a list is an accomplishment or job that you feel supports your case the best. So if you finished first in a tournament in 1996 but just had a third place finish in a tournament last week, put the 1996 tourney win first. This is so especially true for getting sponsorships.

4. For people looking for sponsorships, as most reading this likely are, think of your resume as not a resume but a fact sheet. Depart from the traditional and stereotypical resume look and go for something that looks more like a business proposal. Essentially seeking a sponsorship is the same thing as an entrepreneur seeking investors. Keep that mindset when you're creating your resume.

5. If you can afford the fee for a graphic designer, invest in one. Most can create you a resume that is eye catching and professional. Most won't charge you too much for a design fee. For flat rates you're looking at maybe up to around 300 dollars and as low as 25. Hourly you can be looking at around 25 dollars/hour.

6. This is a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised. Grammar, grammar, grammar. Spelling, spelling, spelling. Punctuation, punctuation, punctuation. Screwing these three fundamentals up is the quickest route from the printer to the trash can. Some don't believe me, but I see the most horrendous violations of these principles on a daily basis.

There's many other tips and critiques I can give if you show me a copy of your resume.

I'm also in the process of designing a sample that is tailored to anglers seeking sponsorships. I'll post it on this thread once it's done for all of you to look at.

[CWB]

Good solid advice. Just like looking for a job. Little discrepancies can get you overlooked.

[LargemouthBast]

Really could use some pointers on how to gain sponsors for upcoming 2010 tournament season!

[n2ratfishin]

Give me a face to face and I'll leave my resume behind as I thank them for their valuable time.