How To Write A Good Resume For Job Application

Address The Hiring Manager

If you can address your cover letter to the reader using their name, do it.

Greetings like To Whom It May Concern and Dear Sir or Madam are old-fashioned, plus its easier than ever to find the right persons name using LinkedIn, exploring a companys website, or contacting their human resources department and asking.

Here are some cover letter salutation suggestions if youre struggling to find the right information:

• If youre not certain about the recruiters title you can leave it out. For instance, Dear Jane Smith is acceptable.
• If you cant figure out who the recruiter is, guess. For example, if youre applying for a marketing position, address the marketing director by name instead.
• If you cant find anyones name, address your cover letter to the department. For instance, Dear Marketing Department is okay.

Opening salutation examples

• Dear Recruiter

Are There Any Examples Of A Good Resume I Can Look At

Yes, we offer an extensive library of free resume examples. Our resume library covers all industries and 90+ job titles. Each sample has been meticulously written by our resume experts to demonstrate what an ideal resume in every industry should cover. If you arent sure what to include in your resume, or if you just need some inspiration to get started, we highly encourage you to visit our free resume example library.

Proofread Your Resume And Finish Strong

Once youve written your resume and cover letter, youre in pretty good shape to send out that first application. However, youre not quite done yet.

The most important step before sending out any resume is to read it over and make sure that there are no issues that could get your application discarded.

To help make that process easier, heres a checklist you can go through to make sure your resume is looking spotless:

The Resume Genius Resume Checklist

Is your contact information accurate?

Does your resume NOT include details like headshots or sensitive personal information?

Does your resume fit on one page ?

Is your information easy to read ?

Is the design of your resume appropriate for the position youre applying for?

Did you include all relevant sections on your resume?

Did you include quantified achievements in your work experience section?

Does your resume address the requirements stated in the job ad?

Is your resume free of typos and grammatical errors?

Is all of your information clearly formatted and professional?

Feel free to use our on-page checklist, or and begin reviewing your resume.

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List Your Social Media Profiles

Many hiring managers today screen candidates on social networks. Save them a step by providing your profile links on your resume. Seasoned applicants with a professional social presence would do well to include URLs for their LinkedIn profile, Twitter account and blog, if applicable.;

“If, and only if, your social media accounts are filled with professional posts pertaining to your industry, listing them on your resume can be advantageous,” said Richie Frieman, author of Reply All and Other Ways to Tank Your Career. “They can show you have a strong network and are up to speed with modern-day marketing and communications practices. The hiring manager will see that you like to keep up with what’s happening and that you care about learning more.”

Your social profiles can be a powerful tool to supplement your experience and position as an expert in your field, but only if they are leveraged correctly.

If your social profiles are not professionally applicable, do not list them on your resume, and make sure they are set to private.

Additional Sections For Your Resume

Now that we’ve learned about the most important sections to add on your resume, let’s explore some other ways to demonstrate your full potential to future employers.

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all model. Every person, every situation and every job is different. Your resume should be tailored based on a variety of these circumstances.

Here are some sections you can include on your resume:

Keep in mind, that you should only add these sections if 1) you have extra space or 2) it’s very relevant to the job you’re applying for.

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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.

1. Name and contact information2. Summary or objective4. Educational history5. Skills and abilities

The functional resume format emphasizes the skills section and is a good option if you are switching industries or have some gaps in your work history.

1. Name and contact information2. Summary3. Skills grouped by theme4. Any relevant professional experience5. Education

The combinationresume format is a good option if you have some professional experience, where both skills and work history are equally important.

Detail Your Work Experience

The work experience section is the heart of your resume. Employers look at this section closely to determine whether your job history and prior accomplishments make you a promising candidate.

Thats why its important to detail not only your job responsibilities but also your competence in prior roles. The work experience section is your chance to show recruiters and hiring managers how you have added unique value to other companies.

The first things a recruiter looks for on your resume are the job titles youve held and the caliber of companies youve worked with. Make this information easy to find by sticking to a familiar format.

List each job in reverse-chronological order. Each job should have its own subheading that includes the following information:

• Company

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How To Write A Job Application Letter

Do you need to write a letter to apply for a job? Most of the time, the answer is yes. Even when employers dont require a job application letter, writing one will help you highlight your skills and achievements and get the hiring managers attention. The only time not to send one is when the job listing says not to do so. It can help, and it definitely won’t hurt to include an application letter with your resume.

Write A Matching Cover Letter

Now that you know how to write your dream resume, you might be wondering: is a cover letter necessary? The answer is yes, always include a cover letter if you have the option.

Knowing how to write a good cover letter helps you round out every application you ever send out, and boosts your chances of landing an interview.

Cover letters are a valuable tool in your job-hunting arsenal because they give you an opportunity to provide context to your resume, show off your personality, and express enthusiasm for the job youre applying for.

Heres an example of what a resume paired with a matching cover letter might look like :

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A Guide To Crafting A Perfect Resume Objective And Summary Statement

Ask one person about including an objective statement on your resume and theyll say its paramount. Ask another person and theyll say its outdated. Who knew a couple of sentences could be so polarizing? Youre bound to find conflicting information about this topic, making the objective statement, well, subjective.

A resume objective is a short statement that outlines your career direction. Objective statements were once the standard on every job seekers resume. A decade or so ago, you wouldnt have sent out a resume without one. But times change, and what recruiters look for in a standard CV has changed, too.

Read on to learn about resume objectives, why they are important and how to distinguish your resume objective from thousands of other job seekers.

Tailor Your Resume And Optimize For Applicant Tracking Systems

Its very easy these days to fire off your resume to dozens of jobs, but if youve tried this method, you may have been disappointed by your success rate. Thats because you didnt take the time to customize your resume for each individual roleand recruiters can tell.

The most impactful thing you can do to improve your chances of getting interviews is tailor your resume to each and every job. Customized resumes that align with job requirements and include keywords from the job description will stand out to recruiters who often receive hundreds of resumes for each role.

When you tailor your resume to the job, youre also optimizing for applicant tracking systems., because many ATS allow recruiters to filter and search by keyword. Want to see if your resume is well-tailored? Use Jobscan to see your match score and discover missing keywords.

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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

It Project Manager Resume Summary Example:

Experienced Project Manager with vast IT experience. Skills include computer networking, analytical thinking and creative problem solving. Able to apply customer service concepts to IT to improve user experience for clients, employees and administration.

Why;this resume summary is good:

Because this candidate is switching career paths, its important he or she take skills used for previous positions and apply those skills to the new job listing. This is a great example because the candidate makes it clear that his or her experience is not in the new field, but that they are still able to bring relevant experience to the table.

When writing your resume summary, keep these tips in mind: Use writing;that is straight to the point, clear and concise, youll have a higher chance of getting noticed by the hiring manager.

By: Sarah Landrum, Founder of Punched Clocks, contributor at Entrepreneur.com and Forbes

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Showdont Tellyour Soft Skills

Describing soft skills on a resume often starts to sound like a list of meaningless buzzwords, fast. But being a strong leader or an effective communicator are important characteristics you want to get across. Think about how you can demonstrate these attributes in your bullet points without actually saying them. Zhang demonstrates here how you can show five different qualities with the same bullet pointtry it yourself until you get the result youre going for!

What Is A Cv

A CV, which stands for curriculum vitae, is a document used when applying for jobs. It allows you to summarise your education, skills and experience enabling you to successfully sell your abilities to potential employers. Alongside your CV employers also usually ask for a cover letter.

In the USA and Canada CVs are known as résumés. These documents tend to be more concise and follow no particular formatting rules.

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Dont Put Everything On There

Your resume should not have every work experience youve ever had listed on it. Think of your resume not as a comprehensive list of your career history, but as a marketing document selling you as the perfect person for the job. For each resume you send out, youll want to highlight only the accomplishments and skills that are most relevant to the job at hand . Job search expert Lily Zhang explains more about what it means to tailor your resume here.

Wrap It Up With A Cover Letter

Phew! Almost done with ;how to write a resume. Just a little bit of editing and proofreading, picking the right resume template, and you should be able to click send, right?;

Not quite, at least we wouldnt recommend you sending it yet.;

The truth is that resumes are often put aside when not accompanied by a cover letter. It would be a shame if this happened to yours, especially after all the time youve spent on creating your resume.;

A good cover letter is a way to stand apart from the competition. Its where you can show your hiring manager you mean business. Here are 4 tips you can use while writing your cover letter:;

And if you really want a memorable cover letter, weve got you covered. In fact, were certain it will be the only cover letter guide youll ever need.;

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How To Pick The Right Resume Format

There are three types of resume formats: reverse chronological, functional or skills-based, and a combination of the two. The choice depends on the type of job you are applying for and your level of experience.

The 3 resume formats are:

1) Reverse chronological resume format – This is the most popular resume format and is ideal for people with plenty of work experience that is relevant to the position theyre interested in.

2) Functional/skills-based resume format If you lack relevant work experience because you are a student/recent graduate, or you are looking to make a career change, the skills-based format is a better choice.

3) Combination resume format The combination resume is a great choice for job-seekers with a very diverse skill-set. Its useful if youre applying for a role that requires expertise in 3-4 different fields, and you want to show all that in your resume. Say, for example, youre applying for a senior management role, and the requirements are expertise in Management, Sales, and Software Development.

So, which one do you go for?

In 90%+ cases, youd want to stick to the reverse-chronological resume format. This is the most common one, and most HR managers are used to this. Hence, in this guide, were going to focus on this specific format.

If youre a recent graduate, or possess a diverse set of skills & work experience, you might want to pick one of the other 2 formats. Check out our guide to resume formats to learn how to write either.

Heres Another Good Resume Objective For A Career Path Change:

Objective: To leverage my 5+ years of client-facing experience, public speaking skills, and expertise in the health care industry into a public relations role with Happy Tree Educational Animations.

Again, short, sweet and to the point. This individual outlines their past in the health care industry and manages to make their skills and experience relate to animation!

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Bring It Down A Level

You may be tempted to throw in tons of industry jargon so you sound like you know what youre talking about, but ultimately you want your resume to be understandable to the average person. Remember that the first person who sees your resume might be a recruiter, an assistant, or even a high-level executiveand you want to be sure that it is readable, relevant, and interesting to all of them.

The Unorthodox Route: A Functional Or Skills

Rather than listing out your experience in reverse chronological order, a functional or skills-based resume has bullet points that reflect how each of your skills is demonstrated by the work youve done over the course of your career. At the bottom, youll include everything else, such as your education, job history, professional achievements, community involvement, and other technical skills. This is a good option if you have a somewhat all-over-the-place work history and want to tie everything together neatly.

Who its good for: Career changers whose work experiences may not appear to be relevant and people with an abundance of temporary jobs or gaps in their work histories.

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Never Include These Certain Elements

While there are many elements you should consider adding to your resume, there are a few things you should never include on your resume because they waste space, don’t tell the employer anything relevant, or could damage your personal brand. This list includes, but is not limited, to references, writing samples, and photos of yourself. Do not add this information to your resume unless an employer or recruiter asks you to provide them. In addition, make sure you’re not using an unprofessional email address. Kegmaster2017@email.com may have sounded great when you were younger, but it’s not the right message to send to prospective employers. It’s easy to create a free, professional-looking email address for your job-search activities with platforms like Gmail.