How To Make A Resume With No Experience
Writing a resume for your first job or simply applying somewhere with no experience can be a scary prospect. You may have no idea how to start your resume, the best way to list your job skills, or even which resume format to choose.
Additionally, work experience is often considered the meat of a resume, and you likely dont have much at this point.
But we all have to start somewhere, and employers know it. This post provides guidelines for making your resume effective even if you have no experience.
Key Tactics To Writing A Resum Recruiters Will Actually Read
In her course, ODonnell listed several key tactics to make your resumé pass that six-second test. They are:
- Show, dont tell.
Dont write you are a strategic, innovative self-starter who loves collaboration on your resumé.;
Instead, tell the facts that make that point. Write how you started your own company or launched a project on your own. Or how you were in the top 5 percent of salespeople at your company six years in a row. Or how youve been promoted at every job youve ever had.
Those facts will impress recruiters far more than any adjective could.
- List your skills at the top of the resumé.
Near the top of your resumé, even above your job history, write out your skills. This allows recruiters to quickly scan them to make sure you have whats needed to do the job.
Obviously, you want to list skills that are germane to the job you are applying for.
- Ensure your work history on your resumé mirrors your work history on your LinkedIn profile.
If these dont match up, its a red flag. So make sure they do.
- Keep the margins somewhat wide and the font somewhat big.
You dont want your margins to be smaller than 0.8 inches or use a font less than 11.
Why?
First off, this will make your;resumé more appealing to the eye. Second, the last thing the recruiter wants to do is squint to read your resumé ;thatll almost guarantee it doesnt get read.
But, what if you cant fit everything? Then cut, cut, cut. Which brings us to the next point
- For a resumé, less is often more.
Dont Use Clichs Or Jargon
Because hiring managers are really, really tired of seeing descriptions like hard worker, team player, or detail-oriented on resumes. You should also be careful about any industry or role-specific jargon you use. In many companies, if you want to your resume to land on the hiring managers desk, youve got to get it past HR firstwhich means putting everything in terms a layperson can understand.
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Your Exact Street Address
Older resume formats often included a header at the top of the page that had the job seekers name, address, and contact info on it. But now, theres really no reason to include a home address, particularly if you are applying for a remote job. Although some employers might need to know where you live if the job has a location requirement, its common practice now to just add the city, state, and zip code where you reside. Leaving off your street address can also prevent the possibility of identity theft, should your resume wind up where it doesnt belong.
Do Not List Physical Details And Characteristics
Among the list of things, you should not include on your resume, leave off physical details like height, weight, and eye color. Chances are you are not competing for a modeling position. The employer does not need to know that level of detail about your looks. Focus on your soft skills and actual accomplishments only.;
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Skills Or Experience Repeated In Multiple Work Entries
Candidates with multiple jobs in the same line of work shouldntrepeatedly list the same skill on multiple times on their work history. Itcomes off as redundant.
It’s as if you’ve got no other impressive accomplishmentsto offer.
If your last two jobs included financial analysis, dont listthis skill on both employment entries. Choose the job where you had anachievement or significant project that involved financial analysis instead.Use the bullet points in other work entries to talk about your other skills.
Do Not Provide Your Salary History
Your salary should not be included on your resume, but it can be listed in your cover letter, especially if an employer directly requests the information.
You do not want to include your salary in the actual resume for the chance of being screened and automatically rejected for the role. Or even worse, low-balled a salary before you had the chance to negotiate.;
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How Do I Describe My Skills On A Resume
How to List Skills on a Resume
- Keep your resume skills relevant to the job youre targeting.
- Include key skills in a separate skills section.
- Add your work-related skills in the professional experience section.
- Weave the most relevant skills into your resume profile.
- 5. Make sure to add the most in-demand skills.
Your Current Business Contacts
Lets say that youre job searching while still employed. Be sure to not list your current jobs contact info on your resume. Remember, employers can peruse your email or potentially have access to your voicemail. If you dont get fired outright for the offense , it could cause some serious tension between you and your current boss.
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Bright Or Hard To Read Text
Yellow or any light-colored text is at the top of the things you shouldn’t put on your resume.
Resist the temptation to use fancy colors on your resumes fontand design elements. Stick to black when it comes to the resume bodys text andkeep the font size from 10 to 12.
If you really want to add color, make sure its not a strain tothe eyes on screen and on print.
You now know what you shouldn’t do when designing a resume.;
But perhaps you don’t have the time to design a template from scratch, so here are some creative resume templates that don’t use hard to read color combinations or any of the things not to put on a resume.
Elaborate Formats And Designs
When it comes to selecting a design for your resume, less is more. Not only do elaborate designs and unconventional formats confuse most applicant tracking systems, but they also annoy recruiters who are accustomed to quickly scanning a resume for specific information they expect to find in particular spots within the document. Don’t make recruiters hunt for the information they care about. Play it safe and stick to a clean resume design with a clear hierarchy. Not sure what works? Check out TopResume’s library of free resume samples.
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Dont Use Negative Phrases
You should also be careful of using words with negative connotationseven if youre using them in a positive light. Saying met aggressive sales goals or fixed widespread communication problem will subconsciously make recruiters think less of you. Instead, write delivered on ambitious number of sales or proposed and implemented solution to make company communication easier and more efficient.
Add Your Resume To Linkedin
Be sure to upload a new version of your resume when you get promoted, change jobs, add to your education or certifications, or upgrade your skills.
In addition to showcasing your LinkedIn profile on your resume, you can add your resume to LinkedIn, by either linking to it or uploading it. This is an excellent way to provide in-depth information about your employment history and expertise to prospective employers and business contacts.
You can either upload a resume file directly to LinkedIn or link to your resume document on another site. Hereâs how:
- When you are logged in to LinkedIn, go to your own profile page by clicking âMeâ and then selecting âView Profileâ from the dropdown menu.
- Go to the introduction section in the top right corner of your screen. This is the part of the page listing your name, headline, and location. Click âAdd Profile Section.â
- Open the âFeaturedâ section, and select âMedia.â
- Upload your resume from your computer.
- Or: in the âFeaturedâ section, select âLinksâ from the dropdown. Enter the URL of your online resume.
- Edit the;âTitleâ;and;âDescriptionâ;in the pop-up window.
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Seconds To Make An Impression
Recruiters can spend 30 seconds or less conducting an initial review;of your resume. That’s not long. You should avoid cluttering your document with unnecessary information that might make it harder for employers to find the most qualifying elements of your background.
If the hiring manager can’t quickly skim your resume to determine whether you’ve got the right qualifications, you may be out of contention for the job. The resume reader should immediately be drawn to skills and information relevant to the position they are seeking to fill.
Take the;time to match your qualifications to the job;when deciding what information to;include on your resume. You’ll be doing both the hiring manager and yourself;a;favor. Showing the reader you’ve got the right stuff will make it easier for the hiring manager to decide you’re worth taking the time to interview.
References And Names/ Contacts Of The Present Employer
Only include a reference section in your resume when you are asked to do so. Most of the time, such a directive is communicated in the vacancy description or organization website. In the meantime, learn how you can write references well if it is required of you.
Another thing not to include in your resume is the contact information of your present boss. You only have to provide such details when your potential employer request for the same.
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And Once You Receive A Job Offer
Sure, you need to work on your resume to get the interview. But before youre able to stick your foot in the door and impress them, you need to be prepared to negotiate salary if they offer you the job. And;;can help.
The first thing you should do is research, so youre able to come to the table armed with the knowledge of what your job is worth. Use our free;below to find out whats a fair salary for your position. You can enter your location, education level, years of experience and more to find out an appropriate salary range before you negotiate.
Good luck.
What Should You Not Do When Designing A Resume
You may think that only your resumes content matters, but thatsfar from the truth. Unless your resume will only be viewed on an ApplicantTracking System or an online database that standardizes how theinformation appears for all applicationsnot likelyyour resume needs to bewell formatted.
Below are a few things not to put on resume, design and formatting wise:
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When To Include Volunteer Work On Resume
It is very confusing to decide when to put volunteer experience on resume. There are various possibilities. Let us take a look at all of them.
It is very importanttoaddvolunteer experiences on resume in the following scenarios:
- Recent college/high school graduate: If you are a recent college graduate with a limited professional experience. As a fresher, you probably do not have a lot of work experience. So, volunteering work must be central to your resume.
- Break in your professional career: If you have taken a significant amount of time away from professional environment. This might be because of any reason , but including your volunteer experience on resume is a great option. It shows that you have spent the time activelyengaging with the community and developing new skills.
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Add featured snippets before TOC
Do Consider A Summary Statement
A summary statement, which consists of a couple lines at the beginning of your resume that give potential employers a broad outline of your skills and experience, is the most ideal if you have years of experience you need to tie together with a common theme. Theyre also good if you have a bunch of disparate skills and want to make it clear how they fit together. Heres more on when you need one and how to put it together.
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Name And Contact Information
Your name goes at the top of the page, the first thing on your resume, and is commonly set in a larger font. Just below your name, include your location*, phone number and email address.
*Since recruiters often use it to source candidates for jobs, we recommend including at least your city and state . Read more about addresses on resumes.;
Your Resume To Upload Or Not To Upload That Is The Question
Crafting a powerful, engaging LinkedIn profile is an art form. People will either pay attention to you or they will move on. Before we get into how to spruce up your LinkedIn profile page, here are some primary reasons you should not upload your resume:
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Make A Great Resume In 30 Minutes Or Less With A Template
With a pre-made resume template, you dont have to worry about the spacing, layout, or fonts in your resume. Youll have more time to concentrate on writing an amazing application that sums up your professional experience and intrigues the recruiter enough to give you an interview.
Check out Envato Elements and GraphicRiver to see hundreds of resume and cover letter templates that you can choose from.;
In a hurry? These two articles include a round-up of the best resume templates offered at Envato and GraphicRiver:
Blatant Lies And Opinions
Dont lie about past experiences or accomplishments. If you dont have all of the qualifications listed in the job description, talk about what you can offer instead of making stuff up.
Employers want you to list facts, not opinions. Phrases like excellent communicator or highly motivated are opinions of yourself theyll decide if you are these things if they decide to interview you.
Instead, look for places in your resume where you can showcase these soft skills without simply saying you have them. For instance, talk about how your weekly meetings resulted in greater productivity if you want to make yourself out be an excellent communicator, or talk about how you regularly exceeded metrics if you want to highlight how motivated you were.
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Do Consider Volunteer Or Other Non
Although its nontraditional, if volunteer work has taken up a significant chunk of your time or taught you skills applicable to the job youre applying for, think about putting it on your resume. Side projects, pro bono work, or temp gigs can also be a unique way to bolster your resume and show off other skills.
Dont Use An Objective Statement
Theres only one situation in which you need an objective statement: when youre making a huge career change. Making the leap from, say, business development to marketing means your resume could definitely use a clear explanation that youre transitioning roles and have the necessary transferable skills. But if youre a PR rep applying to a PR firm, an objective statement will just waste valuable space.
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Using Linkedins Easy Apply Feature
With thousands of openings in a custom-tailored feed, its no wonder that LinkedIn is one of the most popular ways to search and apply to jobs. LinkedIn makes it simple to add your resume through the Easy Apply feature.;
This option is only available for employers who opt in, so if theres no blue Easy Apply button at the top of the posting then youll have to go to the company website to apply directly.;
40 million people use LinkedIn to look for jobs every week and three people are hired via the platform every minute, according to the company.
Here are the steps to use Easy Apply:
1. Navigate to your desired job posting
2. Click the Easy Apply button located just under the postings header
3. In the pop-up window, click Upload resume
4. Navigate to your resume file on your computer
5. Continue completing the contact information and supplementary questions before you submit
Pros: This is the best way to upload and send your resume when applying to jobs on LinkedIn.
Cons: Since you are only sending your resume via LinkedIn to one employer or job posting, it wont be seen by other recruiters who come across your profile.
Hope youve found this guide useful! And remember, if you want a great resume that makes recruiters stop in their tracks use our professional templates, resume builder and library of; 300+ job-specific examples. The best prepared candidates win the truly awesome jobs!
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