Oftentimes creating a resume can be challenging, especially when you begin to consider all of the information you will need to include to show potential employers you are an adequate candidate for the role you’re applying for. If you’ve been struggling to piece your resume together and have no idea where to begin, you are not alone. But, with the right preparations and some planning ahead, you can make sure your resume helps you build a successful future for yourself.
By including your employment history, your educational background, your strengths, skills, and what qualifies you for the position, you will be able to present yourself professionally and ultimately land an interview.
If you can plan ahead and gather all of the proper information, you will be able to create a professional, well-written, successful resume that can help you jumpstart your future career.
Step 1: Plan Out the Framework
When planning out the framework of your resume, it is important to remember that more is not always better. Be sure to focus on using short sentences along with bullet points and keep information at a minimum. While you want to showcase yourself on paper, you don’t want your resume to be too long either.
In most cases, 1 to 2 pages should be long enough to focus on your accomplishments while highlighting the different skills and strengths you can bring to the workplace.
Step 2: Gather Important Information You Will Need
To prepare yourself for the writing process that’s ahead, it is always a good idea to gather any information you will need when creating your resume, making it easier to write with all of the correct details in front of you.
Take time to list any contact information, job history, and skills that you believe will be essential to include within your resume, to ensure you don’t leave any important details out. This will not only make your resume easier to write, but it will help to simplify the editing process later on too.
Step 3: Write Your Resume
Once you have pre planned and prepared for writing Resume, it is time to get everything onto paper. Open your word document and begin to piece all of your information together, focusing on keeping everything professional and proficient.
What to Include in Your Resume for Success:
Even though writing your resume can seem like a challenge at first, if you know what to include in your resume, you will be one step closer to landing an interview and eventually building your future career.
Start with Contact Information
This section, typically a title page, will showcase your contact information including your full name, where you reside (city and state), your email address, phone number, and any links you’d like to include to a LinkedIn or Indeed page you’ve created.
Tip: Create an email address made solely for your resume and applications, making it easier to keep everything organized and in the same place as you apply for different jobs.
Write a Summary or Objective
This should be a short section that explains who you are and why you are qualified for the job you’re applying for. You should include specific skills that you have acquired and what makes you stand out from other candidates, to ensure you will catch the eye of potential employers as they read through your resume.
A summary is a good choice if you have a lot of relevant work experience, but if you don’t, an objective is probably your best option for this section.
Remember, your potential employers are receiving and going through multiple resumes a day, making it increasingly important that yours will stand out from the others.
Employment History
In this part, you will have the opportunity to show off your job history, what you learned in previous positions, and what skills you gained as a result.
Keep in mind, you will want to list relevant work experience, starting with the most recent job you’ve had. But, if you do not have a lot of relevant work to list, it is in your best interest to list your previous work history in its entirety. This will help potential employers get a better idea of the kind of employee you are before deciding to hire you.
How to Format this Section:
- Name of Employer
- Job Title
- Length of employment (with dates)
- Strengths and relevant accomplishments
Education History
This is a very important section to include, especially if the job you’re applying for has minimum educational requirements such as a certain degree or certification. With this information, employees will get a better idea of your education and what you can bring to a future career.
How to Format this Section:
- Name of University
- Location
- Degree you obtained
- Field of Study
- Graduation year
- GPA
- Relevant academic recognition
List Your Skills, Strengths, and Personal Interests
When creating the perfect list that encompasses all of your relevant skills and strengths, it will be important to incorporate both your soft and hard skills into this list.
Hard skills will show your mastery and proficiency in a certain field, while soft skills will showcase your communication and relational skills. With a combination of both skillsets, you will be able to jumpstart your career as a well-rounded job candidate.
Tip: Look at what employers want and be sure to include any skills you have that match up to what they’re looking for.
List Any Accomplishments and Volunteer Work
In this section, it is important to only add what’s relevant to the job you’re applying for. By analyzing your accomplishments and the previous volunteer work you have done, you can shine a light on what you have done professionally along with communally – depending on what the employer is looking for in their candidates.
Step 4: Choose the Right Layout
When considering the best layout for your resume, there are a couple of options including chronological, functional, or a combination of the two.
Chronological is most commonly used, presenting your work history from your most recent job. Functional is often used if you have an inconsistent work history, allowing you to focus more on your skills and strengths. But, a combination is also a possibility giving you the chance to include both of these layouts for a well-rounded, professional resume.
Step 5: Choose your Font and Size
While this may seem like a simple step, it is important to carefully consider the size and type of font you want to use in your resume, especially if you want to remain professional. When deciding on a font, it is always in your best interest to stick to something simple, basic, and easy to read.
Tip: Fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, or Veranda are always your best bet!
As far as size goes, you may enlarge information such as your name and contact information, but keep the font size of the majority of your resume the same, keeping it simple and proficient throughout the entire document.
Step 6: Proofread, Edit, and Finalize
This is one of the most important steps you will take after writing your resume. To correct any errors, make sure everything makes sense logically and grammatically, edit out any mistakes, and make sure the entire resume flows from section to section – proofreading and editing are essential for a successful resume.
Tip: Remember, it is always important to keep your resume current and up-to-date to be sure you are accurately displaying your most recent work history and all of your skills.
Writing a Successful Resume to Create a Fruitful Future
Whether you are trying to build a career with a degree or you’re simply trying to find your way after school, the key to landing your dream job is to have a professional, cohesive, and informational resume that shows potential employers who you are, along with your skills and strengths.
While applying for different jobs may seem tedious at first, with a solid resume you will be able to simplify the application process. By following these steps to writing a successful resume you will obtain all of the tools needed to write a resume that showcases you, your skills, and your accomplishments so that you can better prepare for the professional future that lies ahead.
