How To Make Your Resume

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 donât 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 â 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 youâre perfect for the job. In contrast with the largely out-of-date objective statement â a line that describes the type of career opportunity youâre looking for â professional summaries arenât about what you want. Instead, theyâre focused on the value you could bring to a potential employer. Itâs worth noting that a professional summary isnât an absolute must-have â if your resume is missing one, it probably wonât be a dealbreaker â but it can be a nice way to give time-pressed recruiters and hiring managers a quick, high-level overview of why youâre the right person for the job.

How To Get Your Resume Noticed

Eye-tracking research has shown that an HR professional will review your resume for a mere seven seconds, and companies are increasingly using automation to screen resumes.

• The days of sending a generic CV are out. You need to be able to stand out and make the connection that lands an interview.
• Experts share five fresh and practical ways you can do this: 1) Outsmart the robots 2) Show off your skills 3) Dont restrict your work experience to just work 4) Let the numbers do the talking and 5) Keep your cover letter personal.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here.

How long does it take a recruiter to decide if youre right for a job? Its actually around seven seconds, according to eye-tracking research. To put that into perspective, close your eyes and take two deep breaths. Thats the time, on average, hiring managers spend skimming your resume, sizing up your history, hopes, and dreams before either tossing it into the trash or moving you to the next round of the application process.

For those of us just entering the workforce or looking to make a career transition, one thing is clear: We need to find ways to stand out and fast. While there is a plethora of guidance on the Internet surrounding how to be a great candidate, it can be contradictory or confusing depending on where and when you look.

Here is what Ive learned:

Include A Cover Letter

Including a cover letter with your resume is an opportunity to highlight why you’re the best possible candidate for the job. If the posting requests a cover letter along with your resume, limit it to one page, and aim to elaborate on your resume with more unique information. You can also use the cover letter to share some of your personality while keeping your message professional.

Ensure that you keep a copy of both your cover letter and resume so that you can refer to them later if necessary. If applying to a different job in the future, you can always use your saved resume as a starting template for the new job.

You May Like: How To Write A Phone Number On A Resume

No Need For Any Trash Talk

Unless youve been absurdly lucky throughout your career, its likely youve had some less-than-ideal experiences at past companies or maybe even at your current one. Do not include negative information or details about anyone or anything, neither in your resume nor in your cover letter.

And, it should go without saying, but you really shouldnt trash talk past or current employers or teammates in your interview. You are above that, and it is never a good look.

How To Write A Resume: Template And Tips

Resume writing can be a daunting prospect when starting your job search, particularly if it has been a long time since you last entered the job market or if you are looking for your first professional role. Your resume, along with your cover letter, is what a potential employer uses to make their first judgement about you.

Knowing how to write a resume will help you stand out from all the other applicants and reach the interview shortlist. Your resume must demonstrate that you possess most or all the criteria required in the job. Tailor your resume for each position you apply for by expanding on your experience relevant to the job and cutting back the less relevant parts.

Your resume must also get past any initial screening algorithms, or applicant tracking systems , which identify suitable candidates based on the use of relevant keywords.

Read Also: How To Include Your Linkedin Url On Your Resume

Start By Choosing The Right Resume Format

A format is the style and order in which you display information on your resume. There are three commonly-used resume formats you can choose from depending on which is right for you: Chronological , functional or a combination.

A chronological resume format places the professional history section first and is a good option if you have a rich professional work history with no gaps in employment.

Image description

Add A Resume Summary Or Objective

After your contact information, you have the option to include either a resume summary or objective statement. An objective statement quickly explains your career goals and is a good choice for those with limited professional experience, such as recent college or high school graduates. A resume summary is a short statement that uses active language to describe your relevant work experience and skills.

Also Check: How Many References Should You List On A Resume

How Can I Create My Resume

How can I create my resume? How to create a professional resume

Considering this, Which website is best for resume?

These are the best resume builders in 2021:

• Zety.
• ResumUP.
• EnhanCV.

Subsequently What is the best free resume site? Best Free Resume Builders You Can Use Online

• Resume Genius Best for easy and fast resume creation.
• My Perfect Resume Best for guided resume creation help.
• Standard Resume Best for active LinkedIn users.
• Canva Best for design creativity and expression.
• Indeed Best for in-platform job seekers.

What is the best app for resume?

The Best Resume Builder Apps in 2021

• VisualCV Top Pick.
• Resume.com Best Free Resume Builder.
• LiveCareer Best Hands-Off Resume Builder.
• PathSource Resume Best for Career Guidance.
• Resume Star 2: Pro CV Designer Best for iOS Users.
• Canva Best for Creative Professionals.
• CV Engineer Best Resume Advice.

Make A Professional Resume With Creativity On Your Side

A visually-appealing resume distinguishes you from the competition and attracts the attention of job recruiters. Adobe Sparks creative online tools equip you with everything you need to design the perfect resume. Add the fonts, graphics, text, colors, and images of your choice to the fully-customizable resume templates. Youll find limitless ways to create eye-catching resumes.

Read Also: Example Email For Sending Resume

Customize Your Resume For Your Industry

When youre creating your descriptions for the roles youve held, you should include all of your skills and experiences relevant to the job youre applying for. Read through the desired job description and see how you can tailor your resume to showcase youve got the skillset theyre looking for in a candidate.

You may want to have a few different versions of your resume depending on the types of roles you want. For example, if you work in marketing and are interested in a few different roles within that industry, you can have one resume specific to SEO content marketing, one resume specific to PPC campaigns and one resume that is specific to email marketing.

Related: 13 Must-Have Words to Include in Your Resume

Resume Contact Information Tips:

• Include a personal phone number, never a work number.
• You dont need to include your full address but do add your city, state, and zip code. Recruiters often search for local candidates first.
• Use a professional sounding email address. Consider creating a free Gmail account for your job search if you currently use a more outdated email service like Hotmail or AOL.
• Create a strong LinkedIn profile and be sure to include the URL on your resume.

Don’t Miss: Resume Leadership Skills

Help The Robots Read It

The robot will see you now. Okay, thats a bit of an exaggeration. Your first phone interview and IRL interview will be with a full-fledged human …but before getting to that step, you have to get past the robots who read your resume when you apply online.

What we mean by that is that most online job applications use software that scans resumes to help recruiters who are searching for specific candidates.

Isaacs shares two all-star strategies for impressing the robots and their human counterparts. The first is to use standard fonts and simple formatting because the robots cant read the fancy stuff.

The second is to use the exact words and phrases from the job description, because the robots and hiring managers can filter through all the applications by searching for relevant terms. Review job ads for your desired position, and look for skills and qualifications that employers want in their ideal candidates, says Isaacs. “If you have matching qualifications, find ways to weave those keywords and terms into your resume.” Lets say the ad says the job requires someone who understands SEO and can work well in a fast-paced, deadline-driven workplace. Use those exact phrases in your resume.

Why Do I Need Different Resumes For Every Job Application

No two jobs are exactly alike. Even if you apply for two positions with the exact same title, its likely that each company highlights different skills and traits in their job descriptions. Thats why we recommend that you tailor your resume to address the specific requirements in the job description before you send out your application. Usually this would be a headache for job seekers, but our resume creator allows you to build fully-customized resumes in just minutes.

Also Check: Current Education On Resume

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.

Turning Cvs Into Resumes

A common mistake students make in writing resumes is being too descriptive, says Morgan. “Rather than long, flowing sentences, be concise and pack a lot of information into a couple words.”

Also, be sure to tailor your experience so it’s pertinent to the employer. “If the topics you’ve researched aren’t relevant to the job, describe the research in terms of what you did,” says Brooks. “Focus on the behaviors instead of the research itself.”

For example, Brooks spoke with writing center tutors who described the skills they needed to be good tutors. “No one mentioned the obvious being a good writer. Instead, they focused on skills such as being patient, a good listener and able to calm people’s nerves,” says Brooks. “When applying for positions outside the writing field, these additional skills could be ultimately more relevant than their writing skills.”

Avoid too much professional jargon, says Morgan. “People in human resources and future supervisors likely won’t be impressed by terms that are only relevant to highly specialized fields,” she says.

In addition, the titles of your thesis and dissertation might be too long and academic-sounding, says Brown. “Translate these titles into something for nonacademic audiences.”

Recommended Reading: How To Put Bls On Resume

Make Your Header Stand Out

One tip for improving your resume is to create a header that stands out from the rest of the page. Your header should include your name and contact information, and you can use a large or bolded font to draw attention to your header. You can also separate your header from the rest of your resume with lines or other elements. This can add visual interest to your resume.

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:

You May Like: How To Write Volunteer Work On Resume

How Do I Write An Impressive Resume

The Best Resume Tips

What Is A Chronological Resume And What Order Should It Be In

The most widely used resume is known as the Chronological resume. This means that time-dependent components, such as education and work experience, are represented in a reverse-chronological structure. Your last job should be first , and your first job should be last . This also applies to all other experiences that you mention on your resume that took place within a certain period, such as study programs, courses, internships, and ancillary activities.

The order of your resume is then as follows: personal and contact details, followed by a concise personal profile about yourself. Hereafter, state your training, followed by any work experience, languages, skills, characteristics, and interests.

Also Check: Should A Resume Fit On One Page

Simple Resumes For Graduates

Each year the working population is growing exponentially as more and more people graduate college and go on to look for a professional career. This means that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get a job based solely on your academic accreditations. Recent grads are having to use new methods to make their resumes stand out more than in the past and to add other information that helps convince hiring managers to meet for a job interview.

Whether it is a first job resume or as a fresh graduate, youve had previous work experience, simple resumes are a good springboard to launch yourself into the working world. Beginning with a simple resume objective, graduates can position themselves in the eye of a recruiter by using the right action words and highlighting relevant achievements.

The most important thing to remember is that there will be a large number of jobseekers who will be equally or more qualified, in terms of training. Therefore, freshman jobseekers should always adapt their simple resume by adding sections that relate to their specific individual professional profile such as honors and awards or internships.

These additional sections can help provide evidence that you can adapt your training and education to the workplace. 80% of employers want to see this capacity on your resume according to research from Ladders, so having this information is crucial

Action Context Outcome Model

The action, context, outcome model is a format you can use on your resume that helps your resume to stand out by highlighting your skills.

• Action: Begin with a descriptive verb.

• Context: Describe your usual role regarding the action.

• Outcome: Conclude by highlighting your skills, accomplishments, and ability to be successful.

For example, if you wanted to highlight your data entry experience, customer service skills, and ability to develop marketing strategies, you might use this model to make these experiences and abilities more engaging for the reader:

• Maintained data entry accuracy at 98% for the past two years.

• Honed client service delivery skills achieving a 95% satisfaction score.

• Led the implementation of a new marketing strategy across four social media channels.

Read Also: Is It Ok For Resume To Be 2 Pages

Let The Numbers Do The Talking

Which of these statements sounds more impressive?

• In my past role, I led the team to increase revenue by 20%.
• In my past role, I increased annual revenue from $5 million to $6 million, a gain of 20%, while leading a global team of six employees spread across four time zones.

Most recruiters would probably say the second. Not only does the second sentence talk about the candidates accomplishment, it also shows the depth of their success by citing cold, hard facts.

Like facts, no one can really argue with numbers. They help us understand just how successful a candidate has been, Lance Robbins, director of economic and workforce development at Distribute Consulting, explained. Metrics are essential to telling the story of previous successes. So keep track of any quantifiable milestones youre hitting in your current role, project, or internship. You never know when youll need to pull data together to bolster a job application or interview.

Pro tip: Continue this practice even after landing a job. You can use numbers to make a case for why you deserve a promotion or a raise down the line.