How to Write a Resume
Your resume is the first impression that your potential employer has of you - best make it as good an impression as possible (that is, if you want to land a job that you like). Learning how to write a good resume enables you to present yourself in as positive a light as possible - thus increasing your likelihood of landing the job that you want and deserve.
Video Tutorial on How to Write a Resume
10 Step Guide on How to Write a Resume
Step 1: Add your name and contact information
Add your name and contact information to the top of your resume. In order that your contact details will stand out make the font size larger than the rest of your resume, bold the text and center it. Note: your contact information includes your address, phone number and email address.
Step 2: List work history
The next step is to list your work history. Organize your jobs chronologically, starting with your most recent job. Make sure to include the place of employment, the dates that you worked there, and the type of job you performed. Lead off with the most impressive aspect of your job first. For instance, if you were vice-president of a small, relatively unknown company then lead off with your job title. If, on the other hand, you worked as an intern for a Fortune 500 company then lead off with the name of your company.
With that said, make sure to maintain consistency with all of your listings. Don’t lead off one job with your job title and another with the name of your company. Determine overall which feature is most impressive about your work history (job title or the company name) and lead off with that feature in all of your listings.
Make sure to bold the top line of your listings.
Step 3: Summarize positions
Give a brief, but informative, summary of the nature of your job and the responsibilities that it entailed.
Step 4: Synchronize your resume with the job that you are applying for
Do not hand in your “generic” job resume which you have saved on your computer. Take the time to understand the nature of the job that you are applying for and the skills and qualities that are required for that job. Then rewrite your resume to emphasize your job skills and experience which best compliment the skills and qualities needed for the job that you are applying for.
If you are not applying for a particular job then describe the type of work you are interested in and why you are qualified for that job.
Step 5: Make sure that your resume is easy-to-read
Don’t crowd your page with information. Provide a healthy amount of white space between job listings (about three spaces will do). If needbe, shorten your resume as required.
Step 6: List your educational background
After you have listed your job history, list your educational history. Note both the school(s) that you graduated from and the degree(s) that you earned.
Step 7: List personal information
Next note any personal information that relates to the job you are applying for. This includes any hobbies, interests or skills that may be relevant Do not list anything that is unrelated to the job you are applying for!
Examples: Proficiency in a foreign language or knowledge of a specific computer application or platform.
Step 8: Offer references
At the end of your resume you should add the following line: “References available upon request”. This line is important. Equally important is making sure that you have some high-quality references.
Step 9: Polish Up Your Resume
Once you have finished writing (or rewriting) your resume run it through a spell-checker. Ask a friend or family member look it over and offer any suggestions as to how you can improve it. Have them look both at the content of your resume as well as it’s visual style.
Step 10: Print your resume on nice quality paper
Once you have finished your resume print it out on some high-quality, professional looking paper. Print out a few extra copies “just in case”.
Based on a Wiki Article from Howcast.com
Recommended Books on How to Write a Resume
Amazon Price: $9.95
Customer Reviews:
This book will help you write a cover letter and resume that will get you in the door. The rest is up to you. There are examples of both good and bad resumes along with a realistic step by step guide to building a resume. This book is good for a first time resume writer, but it is especially good for someone who hasn't been on the job market in awhile. You will be able to send your resume out with confidence.
An absolutely outstanding book. Cu...
Amazon Price: $19.58
Customer Reviews:
As a professional resume writer with experience in senior executive-level resume writing, I bought this book because I was in a creative slump and was looking for some inspiration. This book contains examples of resumes written in very traditional, very standard formats, but nothing inventive. I also would have liked to see more about cover letters.
What I found most unhelpful about this book was the amount of text the author devoted to toutin...
Amazon Price: $10.19
Customer Reviews:
Beyond fundamentals of letters, this valuable resource has great guidance on what to say and not say, to whom, and when, in pursuit of publication. This being my current (and not previously accomplished) aim, I am deeply grateful for the assistance in not shooting my chances in the foot.
I wish I'd read the other reviews here before I'd bought this book. I wouldn't have bought it.
The biggest problem, not mentioned in another review: The...
Amazon Price: $11.55
Customer Reviews:
Amazon Price: $10.36
Customer Reviews:
I followed Gary's advice in the GET THE JOB YOU WANT IN THIRTY DAYS, and then bought this one! Within thirty days I was hired and promoted! You shouldn't buy one book without the other!
The most help I ever had!
Everyone I talk to that's finding a new job or interviewing for a career change, I give them this book. It is a great reference with practicle examples that help you through the steps of landing the job. Why re-invent the wheel?. ...
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www.helpwritingresume.com has over 400 resume and cover letter samples.
by shelly
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by russ
http://www.resumeimproved.com/index.php Nice resume tool. Just fill in your information and you will have 20 templates to choose from for free.
by ripper
looking for some help writing resume and cover letter for a federal job posting
