Top It Off With Some Skills And Interests
The skills section of a resume gets a bad rap, but its just as important as the rest of the stuff you include. Its a quick list a recruiter can scan to see if your skill set aligns with what theyre hiring for. And its super ATS-friendly because it allows you to add in keywords the machine is scanning for.
Usually this section goes at the bottom of your resume, but in special casessuch as a skills-based resume or when someones switching fieldsyou may place it further up.
What exactly do you throw in here? Youll want to list any hard skills and applications youre familiar with , and, if relevant, your level of expertise. Avoid including soft skills here, like time management or public speakingsave those for your bullet points instead.
Be strategic when filling in your skills. Dont list things you actually couldnt do at a high competence level , and maybe nix skills that are completely irrelevant to the job you want. For example, you may not even need to include Excel if youre applying for say, a design position, unless its listed as a job requirement.
From Your Career Summary And Work History To Your Education And Skills Learn How To Make Each Section Of Your Resume The Best It Can Be
This is how to write a resume.
Need some basic information about how to write a resume that stands out from the competition? Or maybe youre looking for advice on how to fine-tune your career summary, craft your work history section, and show off your education and skills? Well, youve come to the right place.
Check out the following resume writing tips to learn how to make your own, optimizing each section for maximum success.
Is It Illegal To Lie About Your Degree
Different states have different laws regarding fraud. In some states you can only be fined for lying about having a degree, but in other states a fine could be accompanied by something more severe. In some states, if you claim to have a college degree you dont actually have, its considered a misdemeanor.
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What Type Of People Do Nurse Practitioners Work With
In addition to the primary care of their patients, these NPs treat physical issues common in older adults, such as dementia. These NPs may also work with others in planning for skilled nursing care and end-of-life care decisions. Pediatric Nurse Practitioners provide care to newborns through young adults.
How To Write A Resume In 7 Easy Steps
Looking for a new job can be a grind. With so many details to attend to researching prospective employers, lining up professional references, practicing interviewing skills and checking the salary range for your role its tempting to recycle an old resume and top it off with your newest work experience.
Resist the impulse. If youre hoping to score an interview for that dream job, you need a freshly polished, customized document thats going to grab readers attention from the start. Here are tips on boosting your resume writing skills:
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Fill Out An Application
Most companies will require an application. The application needs to be completely filled out and the best way to ensure this is to come prepared. A detailed resume will help in this process. Remember to include your past work history and current contact information including address, telephone number, and email address.
You will also want to have a list of both personal and professional references. Don’t forget to list your pastor.
Why You Should Not Lie On Your Resume
Big liessuch as made-up employers, job titles and inclusive dates of employmentget you bounced from consideration. Smaller lies may go unnoticed, but can land you in a dead-end job, says Resume Deli CEO Joseph Terach. In the long run, that can hurt your job satisfaction and be even worse for your career.
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Pick The Ideal Resume Layout
The hard part is over. Youve written your resume, and are feeling confident about getting that interview. Now its time to take a moment and consider your resumes design.
Depending on the industry you work in or the job you want, you may need to adjust your resume layout to fit the expectations of the hiring manager.
Write A Standout Resume Headline
A resume headline is a concise, one-line description of who you are as a candidate. A well-written headline can grab a recruiters attention and encourage them to take a more detailed look at your qualifications.
Your headline is a short but powerful addition to your resume, often the first thing a recruiter reads. Take advantage of the opportunity to make a strong first impression. Its also another opportunity to include a specific job title or keyword that might be used to sort your resume in the ATS.
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Can Volunteering Turn Into A Job
If you are currently unemployed, volunteering is also a great way to fill a gap in your resume. You can continue to gain valuable work experience while still job searching. Some volunteer positions can turn into full-time jobs, so do your best work and get to know as many people in the organization as possible.
What To Include In The Education Section Of A Resume
What’s the best way to include your education on your resume? In the education section of your resume, list the schools you attended, the degrees you attained, your GPA if you’re a student or a recent graduate, and any special awards and honors you earned.
You should tailor the education section of your resume to fit your circumstances, including whether or not you’re still a student, and the nature of any academic achievements you’ve accrued. By including the right information in the education section of your resume, you can impress your employer and secure an interview.
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Use The Proper Formatting For Listing Cum Laude
Once you determine where to list your cum laude distinction on your resume, you need to make sure you are using the proper formatting. You should try to keep your resume simple and easy to browse and read. When writing out any cum laude designation, you should use lower case letters and write in italics.
When listing cum laude in the education section of your resume, you can write it out on the same line as your degree or on a separate line. When listing cum laude in a separate section for awards and honors, simply write it out as its own line in a bullet list of three to five items.
Who To Use As A Reference
Many people struggle to decide who to list as their references on their resume.
To help break it down, here are the best people to include on your reference page in order of importance:
If possible, list your current or former boss at the top of your references list. Most employers view supervisors or bosses as the most valuable references, because they have the greatest insight into your work ethic, skills, and professional strengths.
Additionally, consider the following details when choosing the other references on your resume:
- Which of my references are most relevant to the job Im applying for?
- Do I have references that work in the industry Im applying to?
- Which potential reference would best highlight my relevant skills?
- Who is not suited to give me a reference for this particular job?
Can you use a friend as a personal reference?
Generally, you shouldnt include friends as a reference on your resume. The exception is if theyre former colleagues, are currently employed at the company youre applying to, or are a former supervisor. In these cases, listing your friend as a reference is acceptable.
Who to use as a reference if its your first job
For a student or recent graduate, finding an appropriate set of professional references is difficult. So if you lack work experience and have no references, you can list a:
- Teacher
- Guidance counselor
- Family member or friend youve done work for
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How To Structure Your Resume
No two resumes will look exactly alike , but generally, resumes should have the following sections.
Header & Contact Info: At the top of your resume, always include a header containing your name. Your contact info should be close by as well. After all, you dont want there to be any confusion over who the resume belongs to, or make it difficult for recruiters or hiring managers to reach out to you. However, you may want to avoid putting your contact info in the header or footer of the document itself the headers and footers can sometimes be overlooked by the software that scans your resume.
Professional Summary: The professional summary is a brief, one- to three-sentence section featured prominently on your resume that succinctly describes who you are, what you do and why youre perfect for the job. In contrast with the largely out-of-date objective statement a line that describes the type of career opportunity youre looking for professional summaries arent about what you want. Instead, theyre focused on the value you could bring to a potential employer. Its worth noting that a professional summary isnt an absolute must-have if your resume is missing one, it probably wont be a dealbreaker but it can be a nice way to give time-pressed recruiters and hiring managers a quick, high-level overview of why youre the right person for the job.
List Your Personal Interests
- This section shows you’re a well-rounded person who people would want to know and work with.
- Employers often use this section at the start of an interview to break the ice.
- Casual interests are better not to list . This is really about highlighting hobbies that have helped you grow as a person.
- This résumé step is considered optional. If you’re having trouble coming up with interests, or feel your résumé is already too long, feel free to leave it off.
Examples:
Ceramics, camping, reading, soccer, automotive repair, carpentry
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What Is A Resume
A resume is a summary of your career, whether yours is just getting started or has been going on for years. Coming in at around one page in length , it showcases the jobs youve held and currently hold, the responsibilities youve taken on, the skills youve developed, and the qualities you bring to the table as an employee. Together, those things make it super easy for any hiring manager to see your qualifications and fit for a role.
For all the work you may put into writing one, hiring managers actually spend very little timemere seconds in many caseslooking at your resume. But despite this sad fact, its safe to say that creating a great resume still matters.
If you miss the mark, your resume may never be read. Even worse, you might be removed from the applicant pool by a computer before a human even knows you exist, says Muse career coach Heather Yurovsky, founder of Shatter & Shine. So you want to get it right because, as she explains, isnt the goal to spend less time looking for a job and more time in a role you love?
And although LinkedIn has plenty of benefits, a resume has one clear advantage: While your LinkedIn is usually a broader picture of your career trajectory, your resume gives you the opportunity to tailor your career story to a specific role or company .
Oh, and youve probably heard of something called a CV? Its slightly different from a resume, and usually more common with academics and job seekers outside the U.S.
Whats A Resume Objective & When To Use It
A resume objective is, in a nutshell, the goal of your resume. It communicates your motivation for getting into a new field. As with a resume summary, a resume objective should be around 2-3 sentences.
As weve mentioned before, a resume objective is the go-to for anyone that either has no work experience or is going through a career change.
Formula to Create Your Resume Objective:
Looking to apply my at
to help .
Examples of Resume Objectives
1) So, heres how that would look like if youre a student:
- Hard-working recent graduate with a B.A. in Graphic Design from New York State University seeking new opportunities. 3+ years of practical experience working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, creating illustrations & designing UX / UI. Looking to grow as a designer, as well as perfect my art, at the XYZ Design Studio.
2) Or, on the other hand, if youre going through a career change:
- IT project manager with 5+ years of experience in software development. Managed a team of developers to create products for several industries, such as FinTech and HR tech. Looking to leverage my experience in managing outsourced products as a Product Owner at XYZ.
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Use Numbers To Highlight Your Accomplishments
Use numbers, percentages or dollars to highlight your accomplishmentsyou can find this information in things like your performance reviews, previous job descriptions, awards and letters of recommendation.
When explaining your accomplishments:
- Include examples of how you saved money, earned money, or managed money.
- Include examples of how you saved or managed time.
Examples
- Improved efficiency of document processing by 25% over the previous year.
- Wrote 25 news releases in a three-week period under daily deadlines.
- Managed a student organization budget of more than $7,000.
- Wrote prospect letter that has brought in more than $25,000 in donations to date.
These statements show in concrete terms what you accomplished.
Add Your Professional Resume Summary Statement
A resume summary statement is a short paragraph or section of bullet points at the beginning of a resume that highlights your professional skills and experience. Your summary should expand on your headline and communicate to recruiters and hiring managers why you are a good fit for the job.
Summary statements are not ideal for all job seekers. If you dont have much job experience or are changing careers, you might use the space to expand on your work history section, skills section, or write a strong resume objective statement instead.
Note: Career experts rarely recommend including a resume objective statement, but these summary alternatives can work in special circumstances such as in the case of career changes.
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List Your Soft And Hard Skills
Take a moment to consider which skills make you a great fit for the job. Review the job description and highlight keywords that you have had proven success with in the past. Consider both hard and soft skills, as well as transferable skills you can use when changing careers or industries. Create a skills section with the keywords that are relevant to the employer. List any required skills like certifications or licenses first.
What Not To Include In A Resume
Use your common sense when writing your resume. If you have been employed for many years and your career has evolved over time, knowing how to write a resume well means you will not include every role youve ever held, such as the casual retail position you had in high school or the captaincy of your social sporting team. Rather, use the limited space on your resume strategically by ensuring every line shows how you are relevant to the particular job youre applying for.
Similarly, if you have an advanced degree, few people are going to be concerned about the exams you took when you were 16 years old. Instead, only include training that is relevant to the position you are applying for.
Unless otherwise stated, you dont need to attach copies of certificates, qualifications or references. You should instead bring these to a job interview.
We also advise candidates to avoid listing their hobbies or interests. Focus instead on the experience and skills that make you suitable for the job youre applying for. The exceptions occur when you have limited relevant experience or if the employer specifically asks applicants to list hobbies. In these cases, keep it brief. Avoid anything that could be contentious, such as political affiliations, and instead show how your personality is suited to that of the organisation. For example, consider listing a hobby that requires expertise relevant to the role, such as organisational or communication skills.
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How Long Should My Resume Be
Your resume should be approximately two pages long. If it is substantially longer, eliminate information that isnt relevant to the role or industry. For instance, look back at the key skills and attributes required for the job in question and then review your resume are you using valuable space to describe skills, attributes and responsibilities from roles that dont match up to the job in question? If so, remove this content or, at the least, simplify your language. On your resume, you must get to the point, so dont use ten words to say something you could say in five.
On the other hand, one page may suffice in certain circumstances. The main thing to keep in mind when youre writing your resume is that you must be able to demonstrate and articulate your skills, experience, and future potential to the reader. If you can do that well in one page, thats great. However, the average length of a resume is usually around two pages.