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How To Write A Fantastic Resume

Use A Professional Font

Write an Incredible Resume: 5 Golden Rules!

Because employers have only a short time to review your resume, it should be as clear and as easy to read as possible. You should use a basic, clean font like Arial or Times New Roman. Keep your font size between 10 and 12 points. Selecting a clear, readable font will help make your resume appear more professional.

You should also make sure to reduce or eliminate any extraneous whitespace. Too much blank space might make your resume seem sparse, distracting the audience and possibly raising a red flag. By reducing extra white space, you make it easier for the resume reader to focus only on the content of your resume instead of the white spaces. You can reduce white space by increasing your font size to 12 points and possibly adding an additional, optional section like Skills or Awards and Achievements.

Related: Best Font for a Resume: How to Choose Type and Size

Understand The Basic Principles Of Resume Writing

A resume is a summary of your professional experience that describes your achievements, skills and qualifications. Its purpose is to showcase your strengths, create a good first impression and convince hiring managers to offer you an interview.

However, really noteworthy resumes are much more than just a list of your previous jobs and where you went to school. A great resume should be carefully tailored to the employer youre applying to, including the skills and information that are most relevant to them.

To do that, its important to understand the three most important principles of resume writing.

Research the company and its culture

Researching the company you’re applying to gives you useful information about its culture, values, goals, positioning in the industry and even new workplace trends that might impact their operations. This will, in turn, help you determine which achievements and skills to showcase in your resume.

You can start by carefully reading the companys website and any recent press releases they have posted. You can also check out both the companys and some of its employees LinkedIn pages to get an idea of what they generally look for and what they might need.

You can also check out some of the best job search sites, like Glassdoor, Indeed and ZipRecruiter, which sometimes include reviews of former employees experience with the company.

Tailor your resume

Keep it simple

How To Write A Great Resume That Stands Out In 2022

After submitting dozens of applications, youâre wondering why you still havenât gotten at least one interview invite. Weâve all been there.

Competition is tough and more likely than not, youâre competing with dozens, if not hundreds, of other job seekers for that same dream job. If youâre wondering what you have to do to stand out from the crowd, the answer is simple: get your resume done right. Writing a killer resume can get you out of the job-hunting rut and significantly boost your chances of reaching that first paycheck.

Hereâs a guide on how to take your resume writing to the next level in 2021. Below are some of the sections covered in this guide, click any of the links to jump directly to that section.

Read Also: Awards And Acknowledgements To Put On Resume

Divide Your Information Into Clear Sections

All the information on your resume should be divided into clear sections. This makes your resume easier for employers to scan through and find the information theyre looking for.

At a minimum, here are the five resume sections you need to include:

  • Contact Information
  • Skills Section
  • Education Section
  • If you want to highlight more information on your resume, you can add additional sections for things like your volunteer work, awards, or publications.

    Retail Resume Summary Examples

    23+ Resume Expamples
    • Experienced Assistant Store Manager with strong leadership, problem-solving, time-management and organizational skills that have been honed and expanded in a large customer focused retail environment.

    • Highly organized and innovative Buyer with 15+ years of experience identifying opportunities for improved inventory management and reducing purchase budgets to increase revenue. Passionate about customer service and delivering superior products in a timely manner.

    • Organized and intuitive Merchandiser with 3+ years of experience boostings sales and foot traffic by strategically organizing products based on price, popularity and style.

    • Efficient and energetic Retail Manager with 15+ years of experience driving increased customer traffic and sales by creating a friendly shopping environment. Effectively instills customer service skills in all employees with comprehensive training and rewards programs.

    • Responsible, dedicated Stock Associate with more than three years of experience processing store shipments, organizing the stock room and labeling and scanning merchandise.

    • Hardworking Cashier with 3 years of experience providing quick and efficient service to customers, accompanied by a proven track record of professionalism and maintaining a welcoming environment.

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    Take It One Step Further

    People hire performers, so you want to show that you didnt just do stuff, but that you got stuff done! As you look at your bullet points, think about how you can take each statement one step further and add in what the benefit was to your boss or your company. By doing this, you clearly communicate not only what youre capable of, but also the direct benefit the employer will receive by hiring you. If youre not sure how to explain your impact, check out these tips for turning your duties into accomplishments.

    How To List Education On Your Resume

    The next section were going to cover is your Education. Lets start with the basics – how to format the education section & what to mention there. Then, well move on to tips & tricks thatll help you stand out

    • Program Name. E.g.: B.A. in Business Administration
    • University Name. E.g.: New York State University
    • Years Attended. E.g.: 08/2008 – 06/2012
    • GPA. E.g.: 3.9 GPA
    • Honors. E.g.: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude.
    • Academic achievements. Any interesting papers youve written, courses youve excelled in, etc.
    • Minor. Minor in Psychology

    Here’s an example:

    Tips on perfecting your education section:

    • If you dont have any work experience, mention your education section first.
    • Mention your latest educational entry on top.
    • If you have a university degree, dont mention your high school at all.
    • ONLY mention GPA if you had a very impressive academic career .

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    Make Your Employment History About Your Most Impressive Accomplishments On The Job

    List the relevant jobs youve held in your field for the past 10 to 15 years, providing the name and location of the company, your job title and the years you worked there. Then include some bullet points below each one that focus on your most impressive achievements at those jobs.

    Avoid saying Was responsible for or Duties included and focus on what you actually accomplished. Be specific, using facts and figures like revenue growth, customers served, employees you supervised, etc.

    If youve held lots of jobs, you dont have to list them all. But if your work experience is thin, look for opportunities to mention internships or volunteer experience.

    In most cases, work experience should be listed in reverse chronological order current or last job first, and first job last. But if youve had a nontraditional career path, if youre a freelancer or contractor or if there are gaps in your work history, you may be better served by the functional format, which groups past work by job category rather than along a timeline.

    Add Your Personal Details And Contact Information

    How to Write a Great Resume!

    Your name and contact information should go at the very top of your resume, and include key information such as:

    • Personal phone number
    • LinkedIn profile URL
    • Link to your online portfolio/website

    Your resume header may look something like this:

    YOUR FULL NAME

    City, State | ###-###-#### | email address: | LinkedIn URL:

    When writing your resume contact information section, keep in mind the following tips:

    • You can include a professional title under your name
    • Use a larger font or bold to highlight your name
    • Make sure your email address sounds professional, preferably that has your name on it
    • If you include a LinkedIn URL, ensure the information in your profile is updated and consistent with your resume
    • Theres no need to mention your full mailing or physical address, but you can include your city and state
    • Dont include your current job phone number or business email address

    Also Check: Publications In Resume

    Keep Your Resume An Appropriate Length

    The proper resume length for most people is one page, especially if youre a recent graduate or have less than five years of work experience.

    Hiring managers are typically busy, and one page gives you enough space to summarize your main qualifications and achievements without using up their time.

    However, if you have more than 10 years of relevant work experience, you can use a two page resume to communicate the depth of your experience and skills.

    Use Plain Professional Language

    You may be tempted to use a lot of jargon to prove just how well-versed you are in your industry, but theres a fine line between demonstrating your know-how and going overboard.

    Keep your language plain, professional, and only use industry terms when it makes sense to. The most important goal is to get your message across, and too many buzzwords can cause your accomplishments to get lost.

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    Types Of Resume Formats

    Each resume format has its own use, focus, and advantages. Knowing the differences can help you see which one would be the best fit for you.

    Chronological resume format

    This type of resume gives special importance to your work history. Using this format allows you to display your job history in reverse-chronological order with your most recent job shown at the top. This is the most common type of resume, which makes them more familiar to recruiters.

    Pros:

    • Immediately lets recruiters see the advancements in your career
    • Shows your most relevant work experience from top to bottom
    • Most recruiters prefer this format

    Cons:

    • Does not give a better emphasis on skills, talents, and abilities
    • Makes employment gaps easily visible

    Using the chronological resume format would be a good option in the following cases:

    • If youâre someone who has a long record of accomplishments in your industry
    • If your career advancements have been consistent
    • If your work history is highly relevant to the job youâre applying for

    Functional resume format

    This format focuses more on your relevant and applicable skills for the position rather than your work experience. Its key feature is the âSkill Section,â which takes up the most significant part of the resume and highlights all your relevant skills and accomplishments. A detailed work experience is replaced in favor of this âSkill Sectionâ that arranges your experiences under the relevant skill category.

    Pros:

    Cons:

    Importance Of A Good Cv

    Good Resume Examples

    Think of your CV as your own living, breathing personal pitch a pitch that succinctly answers all the questions a recruiter or hiring manager has about you. The degree to which you present the reader with the information they require to make an informed decision can determine whether you are invited to interview.

    This includes why you are applying for this job, with this organisation and in this industry, what value you can bring to the organisation and whether you have what is required to be successful in the role.

    To leave the reader with no doubt about your suitability, you must present a strong CV that clearly conveys this information.

    To do this, below youll find our tips on how to write a resume. Alternatively, you can download our resume template.

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    Other Important Resume Sections

    The sections weve covered so far are must-haves for any resume. Theyre the bread-and-butter for any job application, and if you get them right, youll land any job you apply to.

    The following sections, though, can really give you a boost here and there.

    Languages

    Are you bi-lingual? Or better, multi-lingual? You should ALWAYS mention that on your resume!

    Even if the position doesnt require you to know the specific language, it can still come in handy at some point. At the end of the day, its always better to know more languages than less.

    To list languages in your resume, simply write them down and assign them the appropriate level:

    • Native
    • Proficient
    • Intermediate
    • Basic

    As a given, you should never lie about your language skills. You never know, your interviewer might turn out to be fluent in the language, or even be a native speaker!

    Hobbies & Interests

    Want to add some spice to your resume? The hobbies and interests section, while not a game-changer, can help show who YOU are as an individual. Who knows, maybe you and your interviewee have some hobbies in common?

    If you end up with some extra space in your resume, dont hesitate to show off your personality with a hobbies/interests section.

    Volunteering Experience

    If youre the type of person to use your free time helping others, while expecting nothing in return, chances are that youre the type of employee whos in it for more than just the money. It leaves the impression that youre a devoted, loyal employee.

    The Most Popular: A Reverse Chronological Resume

    As previously mentioned, a reverse chronological resume is preferred by many coaches and HR experts, mainly because its super readable. When everythings in a clear order, its easy to skim and even easier to draw lines between experiences.

    Who its good for: Just about everyonefrom students applying to internships all the way up to senior-level executives

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    Adding Skills To Your Resume

    Showcasing skills on your resume lets employers understand the variety of your strengths. While skill sets can vary, the best approach is to use keywords from the job description to show how your skills are relevant.

    In general, there are two types of skills you should consider adding to your resume.

    • Soft or Transferable Skills
    • Hard or Technical Skills

    What are soft skills?

    Soft skills are self-developed skills that will be valuable to employers to many different types of jobs. Some examples of these include communication, teamwork, organization and leadership. Listing soft skills is recommended if you’re thinking about a career change where your skills would serve both industries.

    For example, there might be a job that requires candidates to be very strong in teamwork skills. If youâve worked in team settings, and enjoy collaborating with other group members, this is a skill that you might want to call out.

    Here’s a list of common soft skills:
    • Leadership
    • Adaptable

    What are hard skills?

    Hard skills are specific skills that are learned to perform a certain task or master a craft. These skills are often completed during your job, and sometimes require specific education or training to learn and master. For example, some technical skills can include computers or hardware for jobs like a Web Developer or an IT person.

    Here’s a list of hard skills for specific roles:

    Web Developer

    Choosing The Best Resume Template

    How to write a great resume – 3 simple steps! Great tricks for writing a resume that works.

    Now that we know which software to use and the most common resume formats, letâs break down the actual template. This is the make-or-break deal. Picking the right resume template can be the deciding factor if a hiring manager gives you a call. Or if they skip past your resume and never bother to read it.

    Our mission here at Easy Resume is to make sure that never happens to you! Weâre working hard to make sure your resume is high quality and presented in a way that will impress recruiters.

    When speaking with hiring managers, we found that 78% of the time they skip your resume is because of the design. Again, we donât think thatâs fair.

    Hereâs a checklist to use for your resume

    We always use this checklist whenever creating any new resume template.

    Use a clear heading structure

    Incorrect: Donât make all headings and body copy the same size.

    Correct: Do use typographic hierarchy by using varying heading sizes and font weights.

    Use legible, friendly and professional font combinations

    Incorrect: Donât use quirky and eccentric fonts like comic sans or papyrus.

    Correct: Do use professional fonts that are easy to read and familiar. Fonts like Georgia, Helvetica, Calibri, and Cambia.

    Use an ample amount of spacing

    Incorrect: Donât go overboard with spacing. Using a lot of white-space might spark joy, but not when your resume becomes three pages long because of it.

    Use 1 page

    Use bullet points

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    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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