Resume Writing Tips

Resumes are a snapshot of your work experience and skills. It is important to write a good resume, as it is most likely the first thing a prospective employer will read about you. Don’t fret about the layout, as there are many resume templates to choose from in Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Use this article as a guide on what to put in your resume to give it your best shot at selling yourself.

Be concise. You don’t want to list every single skill and work experience in your resume. Rather, use it as a chance to highlight your greatest accomplishments and skills that are most relevant to the position you’re applying for. Leaving some things out of your resume also gives you talking points if you land an interview.

Put the most relevant information first. Resumes are typically written in reverse chronological order, with the last place you worked at being the first one you write about. This is the most relevant to you as an employee and to your prospective employer. Make sure to put your most relevant qualifications first, as this is what the person reviewing your resume will pay attention to.

Include any relevant links. Cover the most important details on your resume, and then include a link to your online portfolio, personal website, examples of your work, or a professional social media account. This lets the prospective employer learn more about you to see if you would be a good fit for the job.

Keep your format simple. You want your resume to be easy to read. To get a little creative, make sure to include some simple design elements such as bold and italic text, underlining, colors, bullets, or different text alignments.

Make your contact info prominent. After making a good impression, you’ll want to leave your contact info for the employer. Leave your email and a house phone or cell phone. Make sure your email is a professional account that is not associated with another job.

Proofread. This is one of the most important steps in writing your resume. I’m sure we’ve all heard the horror stories of hiring managers throwing out resumes with a single typo on them. Although these may be exaggerated, a grammatical error or typo on a resume comes across as lazy. So, proofread your resume at least twice, and consider asking someone else to proofread your resume for you.

Send your resume as a PDF file. If sending your resume online, it is crucial to save it as a PDF file so it doesn’t mess with the format. If you send it as a Word file and the hiring manager doesn’t download the document, the formatting will most likely be off and some words could even be cut off.

Microsoft Word Resume Templates