How to Make a Great Resume
Table of Contents
- How to Make a Great Resume
- 1. Create your resume's formatting and style
- Add style to your resume
- 2. Pick a resume layout
- Chronological format
- Functional format
- Combination format
- 3. Include a header for your resume
- 4. Begin your resume by preparing your summary or goal
- A. Summary of resume
- B. Objective resume
- 5. Make use of action verbs and numbers throughout your resume
- 6. Showcase your skills
- Other areas where you can showcase your abilities
- Assess or rate your skills level
- 7. Write out your education details
- 8. Include any other relevant resume sections
- Hobbies
- Volunteer work
- Certifications
- Honors and awards
- Publications
- Personal projects
- 9. Check your application for proofreading (several times)
- 10. Download your resume in PDF
1. Create your resume's formatting and style
Begin your resume by opening a brand new document using your preferred word processor (like Microsoft Word, Google Docs as well as Apple Pages). You can then apply the following format for your resume:- Set with 1/2 "-1" inch margins on all sides
- Ensure that your page is configured according to US Letter size and portrait orientation
- Select the most professional font to use on your resume Choose a font that is professional, like Arial or Helvetica
- Adjust your font size to 10 and 12 points
- This format is the default used by Microsoft Word, so you should not need to change any settings if you're beginning with an entirely new document.
Make sure that everything is on one page to avoid overwhelming the manager who is hiring you. Make sure to create two pages on a 2-page resume in cases where all the information you provide is pertinent to the job or you're applying to the position of a leader in the senior ranks.
Add style to your resume
After you have formatted your resume, you must choose a look. Your resume's style is comprised of the most aesthetic elements like:
- The shades that you have chosen for your resume
- The font you choose
- Regardless of whether you utilize an external sidebar
- How do you create your headers
For professional fields like law, politics or finance, such as a financial advisor, keep a plain traditional style of resume. Straight lines, no graphic and dark shades such as the navy blue and burgundy are the most suitable. If you are looking to work in an innovative industry such as marketing or tech it is recommended to use a modern resume. Modern resume designs feature bolder shades, fonts that are sans serif and other graphic elements like visual level of skills as well as sidebars.
If you're looking for a job that requires creativity, such as Graphic Designer you should consider putting together an even more unique visually appealing resume and a cover letter for graphic designer to draw the attention of. Alternatively, you can use your skills to design your own resume.
2. Pick a resume layout
There are three primary formats for resumes that most job applicants use these days. Each format is designed to make it easier to lay out and highlight different aspects of your professional history. These three formats comprise three formats: the chronological resume and it is a mix resume and functional resume. functional resume. The ideal format for you is based on your professional history and the position you're applying for, as well as your expertise.
Chronological format
A majority of job applicants use the chronological format for their resume. This format is likely to be the most suitable option for you in the beginning of your career or have the steady career path within a specific industry and don't have long absences from work.
Chronological resumes put your experience in the principal subject on your resume and include each job in relation to the time you worked there (with your most recent job on top). Employers want to see the progress your career has made through time. The chronological format allows them to see that easily and easily.
Functional format
An effective resume (or "skills-based" resume) is focused on your specific capabilities rather than every job you've had. In lieu of detailing your job experience The functional resume format provides a broad range of skill categories. The bullet points for each category give examples that show you actually possess those abilities. Functional resumes are great when you wish to get the attention away from your employment record. This format is great for those with large gaps in employment or you are creating your resume to make an upcoming career change.
Combination format
Like its name suggests, the format of a combination resume (otherwise called the hybrid resume) incorporates the best characteristics of both functional and chronological resumes. Combination resumes have lengthy sections of skills with categories like functional resumes. They also include a comprehensive chronological section for work experience. It is possible to think that all these abilities and experiences are too much to include on one resume - and they're. Combination resumes were created for those with lots of experience and an established and specialized set of skills to display.
3. Include a header for your resume
You've found the design and layout of your resume. Now is the time to dive into what makes you stand apart from other resumes: content written. Your resume must include an attractive header for your resume that is located at the top of your page to easily emphasize your contact details to recruiters.
The header of your resume should include:
- Name
- Email address (use a professional one like firstname.lastname@gmail.com)
- Phone number
You may also include the following optional information:
- An online portfolio or website (if pertinent to the position)
- Your LinkedIn
- Your your address for mailing (if you'd like to prove you're local)
- A headline for your resume (a subheading that describes your work experience)
Your name must always be the most prominent part of your resume, to help it be noticed, so choose an oversized font that is larger than 20 points.
4. Begin your resume by preparing your summary or goal
HR managers, particularly those in large organizations, are faced with many applications to go through to determine the best candidate for each job. With all the competition, it's difficult to ensure that your resume is getting the attention you deserve. To be noticed by the employer, your resume should be able to convince the hiring manager that you are the perfect candidate for the job as efficiently as possible. That's why a convincing cover letter is crucial.
The introduction to your resume is an instant overview of your work experience, abilities and credentials at the high point on your resume. It should consist of 3 to 5 sentences, and could include either a sentence and bullet point format.
In 2022, the majority of job seekers will be using the following kinds of resume introductions:
A. Summary of resume
A summary of your resume is a brief introduction which highlights your greatest professional accomplishments and abilities. Resume summaries are perfect for those who have:
- More than a decade of relevant experience in the field
- Achievements that can be correlated to figures (which provide context for those achievements)
B. Objective resume
An objective for your resume is focused on your professional goals and your career path and how they are aligned with the goals of your company. This is why an objective for your resume is perfect for those who:
- Just graduated from high school and do not have any work experience
- You can write a resume to reflect a career change or an internal job
5. Make use of action verbs and numbers throughout your resume
A lot of job seekers do the wrong thing by simply listing their previous responsibilities in their experience section of resume introduction. The phrases “responsible for” and “tasked with” are technically right, but they don't do a great job of describing the work you did in your job. For a resume that is better than other applicants do, instead be focused on your accomplishments that are backed by tangible numbers that show the value of your efforts.
6. Showcase your skills
Your most important capabilities should be clearly displayed on your resume's section on skills to provide employers with an overview of the soft and hard skills which make you suitable to be considered for the position. Hard-skills can be learned through training, workshops, or even school. They comprise the knowledge you require to use equipment in your job (like the point of sale systems).
The soft skills connect to your personality and build them through managing people and performing everyday tasks at work. The ability to organize such as self-management and coordination are excellent examples of soft skills that are valued by employers.
Include a mix of both hard and soft capabilities to your profile to demonstrate employers that you're a mix of technical expertise as well as the capacity to interact effectively with clients and colleagues.
Are you a skilled professional? Think about adding a technological skills section on your resume to let employers find out where to search for the abilities. A section on technical skills is especially helpful for those who work in engineering, medicine or marketing.
Other areas where you can showcase your abilities
Don't limit yourself to the skills section of your resume. Add each skill to your resume's introduction as well as bullet points for your work experience. If, for instance, you include Spanish as one of your key skills and you want to talk about how many clients you helped in Spanish when you were in the past on your job resume for servers.
In addition, Soft skills should be shown through instances in your work experience section, not listed in the section on skills on your resume. Because soft skills are hard to assess without context and employers can only learn a little about your abilities.
Assess or rate your skills level
There's a chance that you're not an expert in every single skill you mention in your résumé. So , how do you present your level of expertise to prospective employers? For more technical skills such as Photoshop and languages you might want to consider making an indication of your proficiency level. This can be written or as a visual graph, such as a skill bar or graph.
7. Write out your education details
The education section is expected to be next to all of your professional experience, however you may place it in the first in the event that you've never had the full-time position or are currently studying. A well-designed educational section of your resume contains only your top education. If you didn't attend college, you can add an official high school transcript instead. The exemption is for teaching positions in higher education as well as applications to colleges. For these jobs you will need to create your Academic CV and include all your degrees such as the high school diploma, bachelor's degree, master's degrees and doctoral degrees.
It is also possible to add relevant academics on your resume If you believe it meets the requirements of the job advertisement and the needs of the company, or when you're a recent graduate who is writing your resume.
8. Include any other relevant resume sections
Based on your professional background and experience, think about including optional sections to your resume. For instance, certificates or awards can be great when they're relevant to your job or hobbies, and volunteering work can be useful when you're writing your resume with no prior experience.
Here are a few common sections you could add to your resume to provide hiring managers a full picture of who you are as a potential candidate:
Hobbies
Although they're unlikely to influence an employer's decision to hire, adding your hobbies and interests on your resume can showcase a part of you and will help the resume pop. Also, including your interests will show potential employers that you're a great person to work with. For instance, if you're applying for a position for a company that is a sports one, such as REI and you're applying for a job at REI, highlighting your love for fishing or camping is an excellent way to demonstrate that you're a good fit with other employees and that you are personally committed to the mission of the company. If you're unsure of what interests to include on your resume, choose ones that relate to the position or display general soft abilities.
Volunteer work
Passionate about volunteering? Do you want to highlight volunteering experience onto your resume as an excellent way to show employers that you're involved in your community and looking for more than the opportunity to earn a salary. Volunteer work can be an excellent addition to your resume when you do not have work experience as it indicates that you have a solid commitment to work and the ability to dedicate your time and energy to something. If you're recently graduated or just beginning your career, make sure to mention any volunteer work you've done in your resume.
Certifications
If you're applying to jobs which require specific qualifications for hiring You should include an entry on your resume that clearly states you're qualified. For instance, if you're employed in education engineering, construction, or even engineering, chances are you have several professional certificates. In these areas it's recommended to include the certifications section on your CV. If you only possess one certification that is relevant it is best to mention it along with your education rather than making a separate section.
Honors and awards
If you've been awarded "Employee of the Month" or have received an official recognition from an association of professionals, awards and honors can be a wonderful add-on to your professional resume. Awards can show employers that you were extremely accomplished in your previous position and will make you stand out from the other candidates.
Publications
If you're in academic writing, academia or in law, you've probably published work in your name, either on the internet or in a journal for academics. The addition of a section on publication on the resume showcases your work experience to potential employers. It also gives them an idea of how well you write. research and writing.
Personal projects
If you've been involved in a variety of personal projects, listing these on your resume will show employers that you're committed to your work and have the ability to keep yourself motivated. For instance, if, for example, you were able to work for yourself for a whole year creating games or apps, listing programs within your CV showcases your accomplishments to potential employers and can help identify the gaps in your work knowledge.
9. Check your application for proofreading (several times)
Are you done with your resume? Do not just send it off right away. Take the time to read the text at least a few times. You'll be shocked at how easy it is to miss mistakes and how difficult it is to identify mistakes when you write your own copy. It is also recommended to give the resume you have written to family members or friends to go through so that they can assist you in cutting some of the most typical mistakes in resume writing.
10. Download your resume in PDF
Once you're certain that your resume is completed and that you've checked for mistakes then save your resume. It is best that you keep your resume in an Adobe PDF. PDFs can save your formatting when you're using fonts that aren't on the computer used by the hiring manager which means that they'll look exactly how you'd like them to. If, however, the job advertisement specifically asks for resumes with a resume in Microsoft Word (DOCX) format or another format, follow the instructions.
The name of your record's name should be easy and easy to read, making it easy for the manager hiring you to search later. For example, Gloria-Chen-Resume.pdf is a good file name because it contains the applicant's name and the word "resume." After you've saved the resume, place it within your laptop. If you're invited to an interview, you'll be able to print hard copies of your resume to show the interviewer. It's also possible to refer to your resume in case you're writing one for a similar job in the near future.
- This format is the default used by Microsoft Word, so you should not need to change any settings if you're beginning with an entirely new document.