Resume writing

Resume writing
Resume writing can sometimes seem a little daunting, especially for anyone who is just putting together his or her first one. There are some good things to keep in mind while figuring exactly how to write a resume. FIRST, writing a resume is easier than most students think, and SECOND, plan to spend a significant amount of thought and time writing your resume. Revising your resume more than once will make for a better product in the end. After all, you want your resume to demonstrate your best qualifications to your future employer.

A resume is typically a ONE page word document that should tastefully highlight your most significant talents and achievements pertinent to the position and/or company you will be sending it to. It should NOT include all the details of your life! Each word should be chosen carefully in order to make it the most clear, concise, organized, easy to read, document possible. Keep in mind that the typical employer takes no longer than a 20 second visual sweep over a resume. Only the best resumes, not candidates, get longer attention and possibly an interview, so you will want to make sure you communicate efficiently and effectively.

Getting Started: Resume Writing Basics
• A resume is typically one page long. (If you're a mid-career professional, it might be longer.)
• Your resume should highlight your most significant achievements and skills, and your education.
• You should tailor your resume to the position and/or organization to which you're applying. (Directly connect some of your experiences and skills to the position or organization.)
• Keep the content brief and easy to read. The organization doing the hiring will receive many resumes, and browse them very quickly. Research the organization and the position. Find out what skills and experiences are needed for it.
• Make a list of the positions you've held, including internships and volunteer positions (paid and unpaid). Note which ones demonstrate that you have the skills for this position.
• Make a list of any education or training you've had that relates to this position. Be sure to highlight your university education.
• List 3 or 4 of your strongest skills that make you a good candidate for this position.
• Write down any of your accomplishments that illustrate the skills needed for this position. Include projects you've done for jobs, internships, public service, and classes.
What Content to Include on Your Resume:
• Include all of your contact information: full name, mailing address, phone, and e-mail.
• Be sure your phone number includes all voice mail with a professional sounding message, so when employers call to schedule an interview you leave a favorable impression.
• Name should be bolded and larger than the rest of the text. It can also be a different font than the body of your resume.
• Spell out abbreviated words (e.g., Ave. = Avenue), with the exception of states
• If you will be moving during the application process, include a permanent address where you can be reached.
• Do not use an unprofessional email address(eg. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.])
Education
• Include any schools you have attended for one year or more, starting with the most recent.
• Include degree and major at which university, within which college and your expected graduation date.
• Spell out the degree (B.A. is Bachelor of Arts).
• Optional items: relevant courses, academic awards, study abroad programs
Experience
• Document your paid and unpaid experiences that relate to the job you're applying for.
• Include your title, the name of the company/organization, its location, and your dates of employment.
• Include bullet statements that explain your role and the key skills you used in each position.
• Organize the Experience section so your most recent and relevant experiences are toward the top.
• Past jobs should be phrased in past tense, current jobs in present tense.
Skills
• Describe the level of your foreign language skills, if applicable. (For example: conversational, proficient, fluent)
• Include specific computer skills (like software or programming languages)
• Include any special certifications or licenses. (For example: CPR, TOEFL, etc)
Summary / Qualifications examples:
—Six years experience in teaching students ages 5 to 12
—Extensive experience in Web development applications
—Proven success in product sales and identifying new clients
—Strong public speaking abilities in front of small and large groups
Formatting Tips:
• Avoid pre-formatted templates (for example, the Microsoft Word resume template)
• Text and white space should be balanced on the page. Hold your resume at arm's length to look for areas with too much white space or too much text (or not enough).
• Think of your resume as a work of art—it should be simple but visually inviting.
• Feel free to reduce your margins to make the text fit nicely on the page, but never go smaller than .5'' margins. (If you go below .5'', it won't print properly.) Margins of 1'' look best.
• For general text (not your name), use a common 10 to 12 point font. (For example: Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial) Your name can be bigger—in 18 to 22 point font size.
• Use consistent formatting for each section.
• Use consistent punctuation for each section. (Proofread for this when you're done.)
• Make headings and key pieces of information stand out from the rest of the text by using bolding, caps, or alternate fonts.
• Right-align your dates (including graduation date, employment dates, etc.).
Effectively Summarize Your Skills
The language you use to describe your skills and experiences is very important. Use strong statements that make your skills stand out effectively on your resume.
Strong Skills Statement = Action Verb + Details + Result

Use Action Words
• Identify what the employer's needs from this position. Look at the job description and your own research about the organization/position. Identify skills and experpiences that are essential for this position.
• When addressing the essential skills needed for this position, use action words (e.g., "developed", "coordinated", "analyzed").
• Choose words that demonstrate responsibility (e.g., instead of "made up," use "created" or "designed").
• Avoid paragraphs. Use bullet points to make it easier for someone to quickly assess the skills you have.
• Vary the words you choose. This makes your abilities sound diversified, and adds some depth.
How to Summarize Details
• Ask yourself the following questions about your experiences/skills: What? Who? For Whom? Where? Why? How?
• Use numbers to quantify your skills and experience whenever possible (when it is to your benefit).
• Find the balance between too short and too long. Make the majority of bullet-point statements one line.
Show the Results of Your Experience/Skills
• Expand your concept of "results" beyond a quantifiable figure. Numbers are not your only achievements.
• To help you assess results, ask yourself this: As a result of my action, what happened to… me? …to my "client"? …to others involved?
How to Organize Your Resume Layout

These are various ways to organize the content of your resume. Most students and recent graduates choose the chronological resume. See details and examples below.
CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME

In this type of resume, the "Experience" section lists your experiences in reverse chronological order, with the most most recent experience first. In addition to jobs, you include volunteer and internship positions—paid or unpaid. This type of layout highlights your experience (and education) more than your skills. (See example farther below.)

Pros:
Your experiences (job, volunteer, internship) and your educational background will be highlighted. If you've held multiple positions, this is helpful, especially if the positions relate to the position to which you're applying. A chronological layout also allows you to show your progress/promotions in positions.

Cons
When you highlight your experience over your skills, you may be highlighting experiences that don't relate to the position. Also, gaps in your employment history will be more noticeable. (However, employment gaps are common among students and recent graduates.) If your skills relate to the position more than your experiences do, you may want to use a skills-based layout.
SKILLS-BASED RESUME (also known as 'Combination')

In this type of resume, you focus less on your experiences and more on your skills. You do provide a brief list of experiences, but you first emphasize specific skills you have. (See example farther below.)

Pros:
This layout gives you a chance to highlight skills that are related to the position. This is particularly helpful if your skills are more relevant than your experiences. A skills-based resume allows you to list your most relevant skills at the top of the resume. This type of resume can be useful for students newly entering the professional workforce, or for people who are transitioning to a new career field.

Cons
This format may be too long. It's also unfamiliar to some employers.
Other Commonly Used Resumes:
ELECTRONIC/SCANNABLE
Many companies request electronic resumes, which they scan for keywords. A scannable resume can be helpful, but you must know how to create an effective one and use keywords. Keyword scans usually look for nouns, not action verbs. The company's job description explains what they're looking for and is a good source of the keywords you can use to write a scannable resume.

INTERNATIONAL / CV
If you're searching for a job outside the United States, you may have to change the format of your resume. Some countries require photos, handwritten cover letters, and a variety of formatting changes. Research the country or company norms.