What Is The Best Way To Layout My Resume
Your resume must look clean, clear and well structured, with enough white space to enhance readability. Use a simple font like Arial 10 or 12 point, and keep formatting, such as italics and underlining, to a minimum. Bullet points are extremely useful as they allow you to highlight key points succinctly and keep the document tidy. Start each one with an action verb if you can , rather than I.
Spelling and punctuation must be perfect, so after you proofread and spell check your resume, give it to a friend to do the same. Hiring organisations are inundated with so many applications that unnecessary mistakes can see yours rejected.
As for the document layout, most organisations will upload your resume into their database so make sure it is in a commonly accepted format that follows the below structure. We recommend a cleanly formatted Microsoft Word document or PDF with no graphics, images, no fancy formatting or fonts. While a creative CV may look good, graphics and special fonts can be difficult for an ATS to process.
Add In Your Work Experience
This section will most likely be the bulk of your resume. Even if youre changing careers, employers still want to see where youve worked, what youve done, and the impact of that work to get a sense of your background and expertise.
Your Work Experience might be one entire category, or you might choose to break it up into Relevant Experience and Additional Experience to highlight the jobs that are most important for hiring managers to focus on. Either way, youll almost always want to have your most recent experience at the top and your older experience down below.
Within your work experience, youll want to include each official job title, the company , and the years you worked there. Below that, youll add in two to four bullet points explaining what you did in that job, the skills you built and exercised, the tools you used, and the results of what you did. If you accomplished a lot during your time there, focus on the responsibilities that made the most impact or youre the most proud of, as well as the ones that best align you with the job youre applying for . Its key here to list, if relevant, quantitative as well as qualitative accomplishments.
For example, you might write:
Associate Accountant, Finances and Co., Ann Arbor, MI
If you have a ton of experience and this category is starting to run long , consider kicking out your oldest jobs unless theyre super relevant to the job youre applying for, or extra impressive for your field.
What Are Examples Of Soft Skills For A Resume
Make no mistake, the soft skills on your resume can be of as much interest to a hiring manager as the technical skills you offer. Smart managers know that an experienced, highly trained new hire who doesnt fit into the office culture, communicates poorly with clients and colleagues, or freezes under deadline pressures can take a heavy toll on the workplace. Your resume and, later, how you present at the interview should assure the employer that you not only can do the job, but youll help the team thrive.
Unsure which soft skills can send that message? Remember, every job application should get a tailored resume. So review the duties of the position youre applying for, and determine which of your personal strengths would help you be a success at the job and in the work environment.
Consider these 15 soft skills and personal attributes, and why employers value them:
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Highlight Relevant Skills And Experiences
Using the same resume for every job you apply for is not a good approach. Instead, your resume should target the specific job you are applying for. Be sure to prioritize the skills, qualifications and experiences that are directly applicable to the job you are trying to land.
Choose three or four former positions or experiences that best highlight the skills required for the position for which you apply. Employers value brevity this is not the time to list every position you have ever held. For example, if you are applying for a marketing position, you could include your former retail experience and bullet the communication, branding and interpersonal skills you learned in that position.
If you dont have a work history that directly relates to the job you are applying for, get creative with how you present your other experiences. Draw on the skills you used and how your contributions benefited the organization or project.
Set Up Your Resume Formatting And Style
Start your resume by opening a new document in your preferred word processor . Then use the following resume formatting:
This formatting is the default in Microsoft Word, so you shouldnt need to adjust anything if youre starting with a new document.
Keep everything on one-page so you dont overwhelm the hiring manager. Only write a two-page resume if all of your information is relevant to the job, or youre applying for a senior leadership role.
Adding style to your resume
After formatting your resume, you need to land on a style.
Your resumes style includes all the aesthetic details like:
- whether or not you use a sidebar
- how you set up your headers
For formal industries like law, finance, or politics, you should stick to a simple, traditional resume style. Clean lines, no graphics, and dark colors like navy blue or burgundy are most appropriate.
However, if you want a job in a more creative industry like tech or marketing, you should use a more modern resume design. Modern resume designs include brighter colors, sans-serif fonts, and graphic details like visual skill levels or sidebars.
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Begin With A Clear Resume Objective
Starting your resume with a detailed resume objective helps you introduce yourself briefly to a hiring manager by telling them your career goals and why youre passionate about the position.
In 24 sentences, your resume objective should:
- state your skills
- detail your education or training
- identify the role youre applying for
Additionally, the relevant experience can be something you accomplished at school or elsewhere in your life as long as it relates in some way to the job.
When writing the objective for your first job resume, consider the companys needs. Dont just write about what you want from working there. Instead, show the hiring manager how your goals align with theirs.
This is an example of a high school students resume objective for their first job:
Resume for first job objective
High school honors student with 2+ years of volunteer experience. Aiming to use acquired interpersonal and problem solving abilities to effectively fill your retail position at Cotton On. A quick learner looking to fulfill the company mission and grow in the role as fast as possible.
Include Only Relevant Information And Put It First
While you might have extensive work or educational experience, its important to keep your resume as brief as possible without leaving out key information. Hiring managers dont spend a lot of time reading each resume. Research has shown that hiring managers tend to spend only 6 seconds per resume. If your resume includes old or irrelevant information, such as jobs held over 10 years ago or minor degrees and achievements, it may distract from key information.
Try to include only work experience, achievements, education and skills most relevant to the employer. You can find the most relevant attributes by closely reading the job posting. You should prioritize important information higher on your resume to draw attention to key skills and achievements.
Related:
, such as achieved, earned, completed or accomplished. If your resume is too long or seems hard to read, you might consider making sentences shorter or ideas more concise.
For example, you may have a job description that reads:
During my time at Freedom Inc., I ran multiple team-based projects and helped each team member with various tasks associated with each project.
This example could be shortened and strengthened in the following way:
Led multiple team-based projects and effectively coordinated group tasks.
The revised version communicates the same ideas about your accomplishments while reducing the number of words and including more active language.
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How Long Should A Cv Be
A standard CV in the UK should be no longer than two sides of A4. Take a look at our example of a chronological CV for inspiration.
That said one size doesn’t fit all. For example, a school leaver or recent graduate with minimal experience may only need to use one side of A4. Although not used as often, a three-page CV might be needed for those in high-level roles or for people who have gained a lot of experience or worked in multiple jobs over the last five to ten years. For example, some medical or academic CVs may be longer depending on your experience. While it’s important to keep your CV concise you should also avoid selling your experience short.
To save space only include the main points of your education and experience. Stick to relevant information and don’t repeat what you’ve said in your cover letter. If you’re struggling to edit your CV ask yourself if certain information sells you. If it doesn’t cut it out. If it’s not relevant to the job you’re applying for delete it and if it’s old detail from ten years ago summarise it.
When To Include A Resume Objective
A resume objective statement is a great way to help your resume stand out no matter your professional level or background. However, there are a few cases when including an objective is particularly helpful:
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If you’re new to the job market. If youre a new graduate with little to no previous experience or entering the job market for the first time, including an objective helps the hiring manager understand how your career plans align with their job opening.
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If you’re making a career change. If your career experience is outside the industry youre currently applying to, an objective statement can clarify your goals and touch on why youre making the change.
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If you’re moving to a new geographic area. If youre planning a , your current address may confuse the hiring manager. By noting your plans in your resume objective, you can avoid being disqualified for living out-of-town.
Related: Q& A: Do I Need an Objective on My Resume?
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Important Facts About The Federal Hiring Process
- The federal government does have a standard job application. Your resume is your application.
- Hiring agencies use the job announcement to describe the job and list the required qualifications and responsibilities.
- After applying, the hiring agency uses the information in your resume to verify if you have the required qualifications stated in the job announcement.
- Once the hiring agency has determined who is qualified, they may use other assessments such as interviews or testing to determine the best qualified applications.
What Are The Best Job Skills On A Resume
Its no secret that many hiring managers spend only a short amount of time looking at a resume before deciding whether to pass on a job candidate or add them to the shortlist. What you may not know is, employers today are looking for both hard and soft skills for a job. Read any job posting, for example, and you might see the following requests:
- Computer proficiency
- Collaboration talent
- Problem-solving abilities
These skills and attributes, and others we discuss in this post, are essential for todays workplace. Hard skills are the technical skills required to accomplish the tasks and responsibilities associated with the job. Theyre acquired through practice, education and training. Theyre measurable and easy to advertise: You either have the desired technical skills and experience, or you dont. Your work history and certifications will speak to them.
Soft skills, or interpersonal skills, reflect ones personality and personal attributes. They can relate to an ability to fit into a companys work culture, handle stress, communicate clearly or play well with others, for example. They may be soft, but theyre important skills for a resume: When job candidates possess comparable experience levels and technical skills, soft skills can tip the balance.
See later sections for tips on how to showcase soft and hard skills on your resume. But lets talk first about which job skills employers are looking for.
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Save Your Resume As A Pdf
When youre sure your resume is finished and youve checked for errors, you can save it. The best option is to save your resume as a PDF. PDFs save your formatting even if you use fonts that arent installed on the hiring managers computer, so theyll appear exactly as you want them to appear.
However, if the job ad specifically asks for your resume in Microsoft Word format or some other format, follow those instructions.
Your resumes file name should be simple and clear and make it easy for the hiring manager to find later. For example, Gloria-Chen-Resume.pdf is a good file name because it contains the applicants name and the word resume.
Once youve saved your resume, keep it somewhere on your computer. If youre called into an interview, you can then print out hard copies to hand to your interviewer. You can also refer to your resume if youre writing one for a similar job opening in the future.
Update Your Contact Information
Thereâs no point in creating a great resume if a recruiter isnât able to contact you for an interview. Your contact information will follow this simple formula, and weâll advise you on how to include the relevant information below.
linkedin.com/maryhloom
www.maryhloom.net
Your name: This will be the first item read on your resume. You are establishing a professional relationship. Use your full professional name, and donât include inappropriate nicknames. Consider making your name slightly larger than the rest of the header.
General location: Include your city and state so employers can know if youâre a local applicant. Some studies have shown that hiring managers have a preference for employees with shorter commutes, so this might act as an unconscious benefit to your application. You no longer need to include your mailing address, as most communications are handled through phone calls and emails.
Phone number: List a number that links to a professional voicemail greeting in case you canât receive the call.
Email address: As we mentioned ââ conventional mail is outdated. Most HR departments and hiring managers will communicate with you through email. Consider making a dedicated email for job applications that uses a professional handle like your first and last name. This dedicated account makes it easier to track communications during your job search.
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How Do I Write A Resume With No Experience
Having no formal work experience shouldnât discourage you from writing an efficient and impressive resume. First of all, you need to choose the functional format, which is tailored specifically for candidates like you. The functional resume format focuses on your skills rather than your work history. Meaning that even if you havenât had a formal job, you can still showcase skills youâve learned in other environments such as school, internships, or informal work youâve done for family members’ business, for example.
If you want to try writing a resume with no experience, you can check out the following resources:
Put The Most Important Things At The Top
When updating your resume, its crucial to prioritize. Your resume is your first opportunity to make a solid and lasting impression on the person reading it, so you want to make sure that you get it right! The best way to do that is to take a few minutes to organize your information in a way thatll best catch the readers attention.
Your resume must guide the reader through the information that they need to make the right decision about you. That means prioritizing content and not giving everything equal weight. You should always put the most important and impressive information at the top of your document. For example, if youve prepared a strong professional headline or resume summary, you should start your resume with that. If youve earned industry awards, you may want to place that information at the top. If youre a student looking for an entry-level position, you can start with your education or accomplishments.
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Mention Your Hard And Soft Skills
When writing a resume for your first job, think about skills you picked up from classes, projects, clubs, and sports. Then place the most relevant skills in your resumes skills section.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are personality traits that are valued in the workplace. Things like people skills, critical thinking, and public speaking are all useful soft skills that can help you get your first job.
What are hard skills?
Hard skills are things you learned from experience or in school. For instance, computer skills like or Microsoft Word count as hard skills.