How To Write A Successful Resume

Highlight Your Accomplishments Rather Than Your Responsibilities

When you build a resume, youâll provide a few bullet points under each job title. But donât use this space to simply describe your responsibilities. Instead, focus on your achievements.

âDonât just rewrite the job description for your previous jobs, I promise you it wonât make an impression,â said Eleni Cotsis, a hiring manager for AllTheRooms and freelance recruiter for New York-based startups. âExplain what you accomplished and why you did the job better than someone else would have in that same position.â

For example, consider these two statements for someone in account management:

• Handled accounts for public relations firm.
• Managed 10 accounts in excess of $5 million annually and came in under budget by 10 percent.

The second statement is a lot better than the first because it focuses on an accomplishment. The first merely describes a duty â it doesnât say whether the applicant was successful or not.

Plus, it quantifies the achievement, thereby making it more concrete. By providing data, youâll leave a stronger impression than you would with a vague statement.

âThink of the mark you left on each company,â Cotsis advised. âWhat specific, measurable results were accomplished because you were in that position and not somebody else?â

Remember, past performance indicates future performance. By highlighting past areas of success, youâll show the recruiter youâll be similarly successful in the future.

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

Focus On Whats Important To The Employer

Before writing your resume, try to consider the employers point of view. What do they want to know? Answering this question will enable you to focus on the information that is going to be relevant to the employer. This, in turn, increases your chances of getting their attention.

When applying to a specific role, carefully read the job description. This will help you understand specifically what the employer is looking for. If you want to gather additional insights, review multiple job descriptions to see what shows up repeatedly. This will help you gain a broader understanding of the role. Another great way to understand the needs of your potential employer is to schedule networking conversations with industry professionals who can share their experiences and insights.

Keep in mind that focusing on whats relevant to the employer might mean omitting details about your skills and experiences that are significant to you but are not directly relevant to the role. Deciding what to not include on your resume can be as important as deciding what to include. Irrelevant information might distract or confuse a reader, potentially making them more likely to discard your resume.

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How To Write A Killer Resume Objective

Resumes.

We all know what they are.We all know how important having a good one isand how much a bad one can hurt your ability to get your dream job.

We also know we arent the only ones out there turning in well crafted, carefully targeted resumes to hiring managers

Unfortunately for you, for every available job out there in the real world, there are hundreds, if not thousands of very qualified people applyingand odds are, there are more than a few really knock-dead resumes in that pile.

FREE: BONUS PDF CHEAT SHEET

Get our resume objective PDF Cheat Sheet that hands you word-for-word sample resume objectives you can use today.

Of course, there are also a mountain of bad ones that wont even make the first cut. But of those that dohow do you make sure yours stands out?

You could always go for the Elle Woods approach. Remember in the movie Legally Blonde when our spunky and upbeat heroine hands her resume off to her professor in the hopes of securing that killer summer internship?

Professor Callahan: Its pink

Elle: Oh! And its scented! I think it gives it a little something extradont you think?

We have to admit, that is one way to make an impression with a hiring managerhowever, outside Hollywood fantasies where the hero always gets their way , odds are your pink scented resume is going to end up either in the trash or on the bulletin board Wall of Shame as an example of what NOT to send in to a hiring manager.

And I promise you, no pink paper.

Lets First Learn About The Headhunter Role

Head Hunters are looking for potential candidates to fill a vacancy within their organization. Their responsibility is to reach out to job seekers, job search candidates and professionals and invite them to a job offer if they are a good fit for their organization. Headhunters often work closely with the human resources departments of companies.

Headhunters often work in staffing agencies and recruitment agencies. These companies provide third party services to other companies such as filling the positions etc. Also, if desired, one can serve as a freelance headhunter in different companies.

If you already have previous experience with headhunting, you may have a good understanding of this job. But we made this introduction because it is very important for an entry level job candidate to have at least a little understanding of the job to write a good headhunter resume.

So now lets dive in to learn how to create a perfect resume for a headhunting position.

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Highlight Your Relevant Job Skills

Hiring managers are on the lookout for candidates who have relevant, job-specific skills. While listing a heap of skills on your resume doesnt actually prove youre skilled, incorporating your various skills into different sections will catch the eye of whoever is vetting your application.

For instance, you can showcase your hard and soft skills in your introduction and work experience section. And of course, you should also list your most valuable abilities in your resumes skills section.

Look For Keywords In The Job Postings

The best place to start when preparing to write a resume is to carefully read the job postings that interest you. As you apply for different jobs, you should study each job description for keywords that show what the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate. Include those keywords in your resume where relevant.

For example, if youre applying for a job as a medical billing coder, an employer might list keywords like coding, claims submission, compliance or AR management in the job description. Pay particular attention to anything listed in the sections labeled Requirements or Qualifications. If you have the skills that employers are looking for, you can add these same terms to your resume in the experience or skills sections.

Related:

Recommended Reading: Excel Skills For Resume

What Tools Should You Use To Build Your Resume

Tip: Use an online resume builder. Don’t use Microsoft Word. Always use an online resume builder. You’ll never have to worry about finding files and you can export your resume as a PDF.

So youâre ready to get started on your resume. The most obvious of choices is to open up Microsoft Word, create a new document and get writing. If you havenât already done this before, formatting in Microsoft Word is a painful experience.

You’ll end up with an ugly resume template that has poor legibility and incorrect margins. Or due to the lack of design options, youâll end up with a resume that looks standard and boring. In both cases, the chances of potential employers overlooking your resume are pretty high!

Crazy isnât it? You’ve spent years building job experience but have to use Microsoft Word to tell that story. And if you canât navigate around complicated tools, it’ll lead to poor results. You might miss the opportunity to land your dream job. That doesnât sound fair, and it isnât.

Why should you use a resume builder?

Luckily, there are other options that exist. Weâve created the fastest and easiest resume builder available online. With a variety of pre-existing templates that are professional and field-tested. And thereâs no messing around with font sizes, margins or colors. Weâve taken care of all that for you.

The benefits of using an online resume builder like the one weâve created are much higher. Here are some of the top reasons to use a resume builder:

Start With Your Basic Information

Your contact information should always go at the top of your resume. In this header youll want to include anything that could be helpful for a recruiter to get in touch with you. Usually, this means adding in:

• Your full name
• Your phone number
• Your personal email address

You might also choose to include other basic information, such as your LinkedIn or personal website URL, your GitHub , your social media profiles , or your address. If youre looking to move for a job, you may choose to leave out your address or write open to relocating to better your chances of getting an interview.

The key is to make this part as clear as possible. If a hiring manager cant reach you, theres no point in perfecting the rest of your resume.

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Write Every Section Except The Resume Introduction

A resume introduction shortens the most important aspects of your experience into a concise pitch to the hiring manager. So, write the other parts of your resume first. Then, decide which points from each part to include in your resumes introduction paragraph.

Here are the sections to write before starting your resume introduction:

• Skills section

How To Ace Your Next Interview

Youve perfected both your resume & cover letter. Now, its time for the next step – the dreaded job interview.

Whether youre an extrovert or an introvert, you probably hate the interviewing process. After all, sitting there while someones prodding into your past experiences and judging the hell out of you isnt the most fun experience.

Did you know, though, that most interviewers ask the same questions? Yep – all you have to do is learn how to answer some of the most common interview questions, and youll be an interview away from landing your dream job!

Want to learn more? Check out our complete guide to Job Interview Questions and Answers.

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Resume Tips And Strategies

Regardless of which format you use or what information you choose to include or omit, there are certain things you can do to help your resume stand out above the crowd.

In this lesson, you will review tips and strategies for creating a winning resume and identify common mistakes to avoid in the process. You will also learn about considerations for including links to online profiles and personal webpages.

Watch the video below to learn about some common resume mistakes.

Tips for writing a great resume

In the next unit, we will be going into greater detail on how to write each section of your resume. Before we begin, it’s a good idea to understand the general tips and strategies that can make your resume shine.

Consider using the following techniques as you approach writing your resume.

Review these articles for additional help with key words and customization: The Quintessential Guide to Words to Get Hired By and What it Really Means to ‘Tailor Your Resume’

Tips for designing a great resume

You now have some strategies for how to write and phrase your text, but the way you design and format your resume for clarity and readability can be just as important.

Watch the video below to learn some tips for designing your resume.

Consider using the following techniques as you approach the design of your resume.

Along with formatting your presentation, be sure to carefully edit your text. Consider these tips.

Common resume mistakes to avoid

Here are a few things to consider.

Include Contact Information With A Caveat

Include all your contact information so that employers can easily get in touch with you. Give your full name, street address, city, state, zip code, phone number, and email address. If you have a LinkedIn profile or professional website, include those links as well. Under some circumstances, you might want not want to include your entire mailing address, but it is generally good practice to do so.

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Resume Writing Tips To Help You Land A Job

Related video: Resume Writing: 4 Tips on How To Write a Standout Resume

Employers use resumes throughout the hiring process to learn more about applicants and whether they might be a good fit. Your resume should be easy to read, summarize your accomplishments and skills, and highlight relevant experience. Below are 10 tips to help you write a great resume.

If you’re interested in professional and personalized resume feedback, learn more about Indeed’s free and paid resume review options at indeed.com/resumehelp.

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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Limit Your Resume To One Page

You may have heard the warning not to exceed one page for your resume. For most people, this old rule of thumb holds true. You should be able to communicate everything you need to say on a single page.

Of course, there may be some situations where it makes sense to exceed a page. For instance, you may need additional bandwidth if youâre applying for upper management or a professorship at a college.

But otherwise, youâll likely be better off sticking to one page. If youâre emailing your resume, try saving it as a PDF first. That way, the recruiter will see the right page length and formatting.

Resume Tips That Will Help You Get Hired

When you havent updated your resume in a while, it can be hard to know where to start. What experiences and accomplishments should you include for the jobs youve got your eye on? What new resume rules and trends should you be following? And seriously, one page or two?

Well, search no more: Weve compiled all the resume tips you need into one place. Read on for advice and tricks thatll make sure you craft a winning resumeand help you land a job.

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Set Headers For Each Section

Start each part of your resumewith a header thats distinguishable from the rest of the text on your resume and clearly states what information is found in that section.

For example, your work experience section should start off with Work Experience or Relevant Experience in a slightly larger, bolded font. Many resume templates also add underlines to section headers to further distinguish them.

Heres an example of a resume with appropriate section headers:

Offer A Skills Summary Right Off The Bat

As you start to build a resume, consider adding a skills summary to the top. Make sure to reflect the job description when you describe your own areas of proficiency.

For instance, a company hiring a digital product designer might look for someone skilled in a program like Sketch or InVision. A recruiter looking for a marketer might seek someone familiar with Google Analytics and Google AdWords.

Review the job description as you build your skills summary. That way, this section can be both accurate and tailored to the job at hand.

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Put Your Work Experience Before Your Education

Unless you just graduated from college, put your work experience before your education. If youâve been in the workforce for a few years, recruiters donât care so much about your educational accomplishments. They want to see your professional experience and skills.

If youâre worried about age discrimination, you can leave off your year of graduation. Most organizations want to see you have a relevant degree, but donât care as much when you got it.

Read The Job Description Again

The first step in writing a good resume is to reread the job description. Hiring managers list the exact qualifications theyre seeking in job ads, so ensure the information on your resume corresponds to the listed requirements.

Another reason to reread the job description is to find skills-related keywords for your target job. Many companies use applicant tracking systems to automatically delete applications that dont include the skills they need.

Heres a job description with keywords applicants should add to their resumes highlighted:

So, mine the job ad for keywords to add to your resume, and include them in a natural way.

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Can I Use Any Of These Examples To Help Write My Own Resume

Yes, we have plenty of examples you can use. Select any resume example from the list on this page, and youll find the following:

• A professional template with job-specific bullet points and information
• Sections to present your skills, experience, education, and professional accomplishments
• A free download in Microsoft Word format for you to personalize
• All resume information provided in text format ready for you to copy and paste
• Writing tips for creating a resume in that particular industry

We also have guides on how to write your own resume introduction, how to use resume action verbs, and articles outlining every other part of resume writing and formatting imaginable. Theyre all accessible on our resume help blog.