What Is The Format Of Resume

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:

Why Are These The Best Resume Formats

These three resume formats are some of the best options because theyre easy to read and the most likely to be processed through an ATS without critical errors.

Recruiters often have to review many resumes for a single open role. They can read a resume in a standard format more easily and thoroughly because they know where to find the information theyre looking for. For example, if a role requires a specific skill, a recruiter will look for it in your skills section included either above or below your work experience. They have a limited amount of time to spend reviewing each resume, so they may move on and assume you dont possess the qualification if it takes too long to find the right information.

Also, most applicant tracking systems will perform a more accurate review of your resume if the format is simple, straightforward and follows a few basic rules. The three resume formats discussed in this article mostly adhere to these best practices, though some ATS may have difficulties scanning a functional resume, and can help ensure that your resume is successfully processed through an ATS review.

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Proper Resume Formatting Template

Heres a resume formatting template that you can copy and paste into Google Docs or Microsoft Word and fill out with your own information. This template is designed to help you stick to the basic resume formatting guidelines mentioned above.

1. Resume Heading

• Heres where you can add any other relevant information
• For example, this section could be for languages, publications, or volunteer experiences

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Why Is The Design Of My Resume So Important

Employers will usually take, at most, only thirty-five seconds to look at this one-page representation of yourself before deciding whether to keep or discard it. To ensure that you will make it past that initial screening, you should design your résumé in such a way that employers can read the document easily and process information quickly. One way to do this is to conform to the conventional format of a résumé, since employers know how resumes work and where to locate certain information. In addition, you should keep certain design principles in mind that will increase your chances of getting your résumé into the “keep” pile. Designing your résumé can be a challenge and requires you to take a closer look at how readers read. Here are some tips to help you make your résumé a winning experience.

Main Types Of Resume Formats

Luckily when it comes to choosing a resume format, your choices are already narrowed down to three main types:

Each one offers unique advantages and none are one-size-fits-all. You may even want to create a version of your resume in each format depending on the job title, the company or even the countryin which you are applying. An online resume builder can make it much easier to quickly switch around sections and go from one format to another without much fuss.

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Difference Between Resume Curriculum Vitae And Biodata

Resumes, CV and Biodata are very similar in nature and are used to present personal-professional information about a person. They are usually used in job applications, academic applications, and similar documentation. The primary differences between the three are:

• Biodata is a very short document with basic factual information only while resume and CV present the same information in more details. Curriculum Vitaes contain very detailed information while resumes have brief descriptions only.
• Biodata formats are single page while resume formats can extend to two pages and CV formats can be even longer due to the details presented. However, it is not recommended to have a CV longer than 3-pages unless you are highly experienced.
• Biodata is used widely and may be required for documentation other than jobs or academic. Resumes and CVs are mainly used for job applications and academic applications or similar professional use.
• Biodata follows the format of a functional resume while CVs can be made with either combination resume or chronological resume.

Creative and visual resume formatsCreative and visual resume formatsCreative and visual resume formats

Education And Professional Qualifications

List any relevant professional qualifications you have with the dates obtained.

Include any degrees you have along with the dates you attended and the name of the institution.

If youve not graduated yet, give your expected graduation date. Include your Grade Point Average if you have one.

You can include any relevant coursework, courses, extracurricular activities etc. depending on how light the rest of your resume is.

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Spice Up Your Chronological Resume With Your Skills

Needless to say, the reverse-chronological order doesnt really apply in the skills section.

What you can do, however, is begin by listing your hard skills and then your soft skills.

Unsure of what this means?

• Hard skills are measurable abilities. These can range from programming in Python language to knowing how to use Photoshop and InDesign.
• Soft skills are personal skills. They vary from attitude to flexibility, motivation and teamwork.

Listing your skills has its own peculiarities, so dont pay this section less attention than the ones above it, especially if youre a recent college student. Pay attention to skills specifically required at the job ad and if you have them, make sure to include them.

Heres an example of how your skills section can look like:

Choosing A Resume File Name

Once you’ve decided on which file format to save your resume as, you need to choose an appropriate and clear file name you don’t want to confuse the hiring manager or have your resume end up getting lost in the shuffle.

That means, instead of using the generic resume.doc,use your name for example, JohnDoeResume.doc or johndoeresume.doc would work just fine. Make sure you include the word resume in the name so you can distinguish it from your cover letter, which should also take on the same format when saving: JohnDoeCoverLetter.doc or johndoecoverletter.doc.

While naming and saving only takes a few clicks of your keyboard, they can make a big difference in your job search don’t take it lightly.

Before you save your resume, is it the best it can be? Our resume writers know how to make you stand out.

This article was updated in March 2020. It was originally written by M.A. Smith.

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Best Resume Formats With Examples And Formatting Tips

The right resume format will grab the hiring managers attention immediately and make it clear that youre the best candidate for the job while deemphasizing aspects of your career that youd prefer not to highlight.

There are three types of professional resume formats:

Each of these formats is a template that you can customize to meet your job search needs.

How Long Should A Resume Be

No matter which of the three formats you decide to go with, it should fit neatly onto one single sided page without crowding.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, and in some cases , a slightly longer resume is acceptable.

Anything longer than that and youve moved out of the world of resumes and into the world of CVs which are acceptable, but ONLY in VERY SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES.

Keep in mind this isnt your autobiography!

This is meant to give a hiring manager just enough information about you that they feel compelled to call you in and meet you face to face!

To put it bluntly, the average hiring manager spends initially between 10-20 seconds on each resume which means you have 10-20 seconds to catch their eye. The last thing you want to do is give them something thats messy, confusing, or unorganized.

Rather than spend an additional 10 seconds trying to figure out your resume, most hiring manager will just throw it awayand we dont want that!

Ok, so what about fonts, margins, paper, etc?

Lets start with fonts.

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Using Columns To Lay Out Your Rsum

One way to create a balanced page is by using columns to format your text. However, keep in mind that since employers spend so little time reading a résumé, you want them to read through it with few stops. The reader’s eye will stop when it reaches the end of each column. Although you might want to use columns to create a balanced page, you wouldn’t want your reader to have to make too many stops and miss important information.Therefore, you should use no more than three columns on your résumé. Remember that the first place your reader looks at will be located in quadrants 1 and 2, so the most important information should go here. Also keep in mind that when indenting information you might create extra columns, so be aware of your column count.

Here is an example of a résumé section with three distinct columns. The first example has the columns marked in red so that you can see their placement.

To create columns of text, you can use the table function in Microsoft Word to create vertical and horizontal placements for your information.

What Do I Include On A Resume

What you should put on your resume depends on the job youre applying for and your relevant professional background.

At a minimum, your resume should include the following sections:

• Contact details: include your first and last name, phone number, and email address. Additionally, you can add your LinkedIn profile if yours is up to date, and your mailing address if you want to prove you live near the place youre applying.
• Introduction: a concise overview of your professional background and key qualifications. Your introduction can be in the form of a resume summary, professional profile, resume objective, or qualifications summary.
• Education: Include your school names, highest degree earned, majors and minors. Additionally, you can add your GPA and relevant coursework if you lack experience or its related to the position.
• Experience: list any relevant work experience you have. Include your title, the company you worked for, years worked, and a bulleted list of your key responsibilities and notable successes. Be sure to also include as many relevant accomplishments on your resume as possible.
• Skills: include any resume skills you possess that are relevant to the position. Be sure to use a strong mix of hard skills and soft skills to demonstrate that youre a well-rounded candidate.

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The Best Resume Format For Recent Grads 2022

Recent graduates are facing a tough moment to enter the job market as companies shrink the number of entry-level hires and interns they are willing to take on. However, its not all bad news. Although many companies have a temporary hiring freeze, they are expecting to reach pre-pandemic hiring levels by summer 2022, according to Forbes.

When it comes to the best resume format for recent grads in 2022, flexibility and skills are everything. That doesnt mean you should jump straight to a functional resume format however. Hiring managers are wary of grads who try to cover a lack of work experience by focusing only on skills. If you have some previous internship experience, it can be enough to create a chronological resume format or a combined one if thats a better choice for your industry.

Great news for recent grads its becoming easier to find a job with less experience. According to Forbes, more than 70 percent of roles today have less requirements than one year ago.

How To Choose The Best Resume Format For You In 2021

The first thing you have to do when settling on what type of resume you plan to write , is figure out which resume format or resume layout matches your needs and who you are. While its true that in 2021 you tend to see less chronological resumes out there, the fact is your resume format choice should depend more on your experience and situation more than anything.

CHRONOLOGICAL RESUMES are great for people who have had a steady career path in the same field for a long period of time or are applying for jobs in similar fields and has few, if any, gaps in their employment history.

Employers like chronological resumes because its easy to see, at a glance, what an employee has done in the past. For people who have stayed within the same industry their whole career and havent moved around much, its a great option as it shows a potential employer quickly and easily your progression.

For example, executives who have had a steady progression to the top would benefit from a chronological resume.

Chronological resumes are also great for people who are just starting out or find themselves in the mid-level of their careers.

When organizing your chronological resume, you want to make sure you keep the following categories in this order

• Objective Statement or Summary Statement

• Experience/Qualifications
• Education

People just entering the job market can also benefit from a functional resume as it focuses more on skills than past work history.

• Objective Statement or Summary Statement

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Applicant Tracking Systems And Your File Format

ATS is software which the majority of companies now use to screen your resume. The resume the ATS processes as a good match for the position are sent forward or recommended to the hiring manager.

Over 76% of resumes submitted aren’t considered, and an incorrect file type may be one of the reasons why. Other resumes are scored poorly by the ATS for lack of keywords, experience mismatch, or complicated formatting. Always send a Word document to ensure your resume goes through.

Also note that a PDF may be locked, meaning that an ATS would be unable to scan the text in your resume.

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How Are You Uploading Your Resume

Whether you’re submitting your resume through application software, posting to a job board, or emailing it, make sure to follow the employer’s directions carefully. For example, the file format an employer wants may vary based on the company’s applicant tracking system which may or may not be compatible with PDF files or Mac Pages.

Also, depending on how they are asking you to submit your resume, they may request you upload a certain file type. For example:

• If you’re posting your resume online, the job site will specify which file type is accepted. This can range from a Word document to a PDF file , or a plain .txt, .rtf, .html, or .odt file.

• If you’re emailing your resume, the company will make clear how they want you to send it. They will probably ask for it to be sent as an email attachment, specifying whether they want it to be a Word document or PDF file. They could also request that you copy your resume directly into the email body.

Now, if the job posting doesn’t specifically say how the company wants you to upload your resume, here are the pros and cons of each file format to help you choose the best one for your resume and how to save them accordingly.

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Grab The Recruiters Attention With A Resume Summary

A resume summary is a 2 – 5 sentence summary of your professional background.

You should look at the resume summary as an introduction to your resume.

Its the first thing the recruiter sees on your resume, and if you fail to catch their attention, theyre not going to read the rest of it.

So, how do you write a good resume summary?

You mention things like:

Heres an example to better understand what that might look like.

Combination Resume Summary Example:

• IT project manager with a proven track record of working with agile and waterfall methodologies. Managed teams of 5+ people on software development projects over the last 4 years. Decent understanding of JavaScript, React, and Python.

PS – Need more inspiration for writing a strong resume summary? Check out our how-to guide with 40+ resume summary examples.

Web Developer Chronological Resume

As you can see in the example, the candidate has chosen to place his courses and training above his education. When you have followed courses or have been trained in the exact field of work where youre applying, it makes sense to rank the field-specific courses and training higher than your university education.

This article has more information on how to perfect your Web Developer Resume.

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Select A Professional Readable Font

When deciding what font to use for your resume, keep in mind that it should be clear and easy to read. Making sure employers dont have to work to understand words on your resume is the most important factor when choosing a font. It is also helpful if your resume is sent through an applicant tracking system. Many employers use an ATS, which doesnt always read and interpret intricate fonts well. You should also avoid light or thin fonts which can sometimes be difficult for people to read on a screen or paper.

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There are two main categories of fonts serif and sans serif. Serif fonts have tails while sans serif fonts do not. Sans serif fonts are generally good fonts for resumes because they have clean lines that are easy to read. There are fonts like Georgia, however, that are still widely accepted among employers as simple and professional.

Here are several examples of the best resume fonts:

• Avenir