How to Write a Good Resume | Good Resume Writing Tips

How to Write a Good Resume | Good Resume Writing Tips

Knowing how to write a winning, stellar, and sexy resume is very important in today's job market. Before writing your resume you must have clear idea about its function, proper format, and necessary content. Your resume should be professional and exceptional as it is YOU on paper and represents you to the people who do not know you. So, your effort should be to make it as special as you are. Only a well-written and aesthetically pleasing resume can help you secure an interview, which in turn can lead you to a new job opportunity or secure you a position. You have to spend a considerable amount of time to develop your resume and make several critiques and revisions on it so that you can make it a flawless one. It is very important to update your resume on a regular basis — make sure yours is completely up to date. However, whether you want to write a fresh resume, or just want to update your existing one, the following guidelines will assist you in making it stellar, winning, and sexy, and thereby, you can stand out from the rest.

BASIC GUIDELINES

Ø  Use the same font throughout your resume, and make sure there is nothing too fancy on it.

Ø  Keep your resume margins at 1, .75, .5 inches, and do not keep more than three different indents.

Ø  Your resume heading should be 14 point font size and bold.

Ø  Your resume body font should be 12 point. (11 point is also acceptable, but no smaller.)

Ø  (v) Make sure that job titles and college degrees on your resume are CAPS or bold so that they can stand out over company and school.

Ø  Do not use acronyms. Spell out everything on your resume. (Putting the acronyms in parenthesis is acceptable, but you must spell out first.) Avoid abbreviations.

Ø  Avoid using personal pronouns (i. e., I, me, you, etc.), but using 'my' in the objective is acceptable.

Ø  Avoid using personal information on your resume (i. e., height, weight, marital status, religion, ethnicity, age, health, reason for leaving previous jobs, etc.).

Ø  Print your resume on nice high quality resume paper of a neutral color, such as white, light gray, or cream.

Ø  Have a reliable professional review your resume. Make sure all spelling and grammar are flawless.

Ø  Do not fold your resume. Use a large envelope when mailing it to a prospective employer.

Ø  Often times your resume requires a cover letter to accompany with it. Make sure your cover letter is professional and informative. (See Cover Letter Writing Tips).

RESUME OUTLINE

Name

Ø  Your name on the resume should be 20-24 point font size and bold. It depends on your choice whether your name would be centered or to the side of your resume.

Address/Phone/Email

Ø  Your address, phone, and email should be 12 point font size. It also can be centered or to the side, depending on your choice.

Ø  Do not use period in between or at the end of your two digit abbreviations for state (i. e., WA).

Ø  Make sure to include your phone number with area code.

Ø  Do not write "Email" or "Phone" on your resume. Write (hm) and (cell) after your home phone and cell phone numbers.

Ø  Make sure your email address sounds professional.

Objective

Ø  Include an objective on your resume only when you submit your resume without cover letter.

Ø  The objective on your resume should be specific and concise (1-3 sentences).

Education

Ø  List only college education and AA degree. Place your most recent school first and working background chronologically. Avoid listing high school.

Ø  Make sure to bold your degree and major as well as your minor if you have any.

Ø  Include 'Relevant Coursework'. You can list only relevant and interesting course titles (not course #'s).

Ø  Include your cumulative or major GPA or both, especially if it is at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Most often employers assume it good.

Ø  List study abroad experience if you have any. Mention the school, location, and dates.

Ø  List any certifications you have attained and examinations you are scheduled to take.

Summary of Qualification

Ø  Make sure your summary of qualifications is relevant and specific—not generic.

Ø  Use minimum three bullets to make this section worthwhile.

Experience

Ø  List your recent employments and experiences in reverse chronological order.

Ø  Make sure the work title on your resume are more visual (CAPS or bold) than the company.

Ø  Do not forget to include the city and state (or country).

Ø  Include volunteer experience if you have any. (You can make a separate section if your volunteer experience is enough).

Ø  Include any internship you have done.

Ø  Describe your work experience and list your job responsibilities in such a manner that markets you best.

Ø  Present your achievements/accomplishments: accounts expanded, percentages increased, budget responsible for, programs developed, awards won, etc. (Whenever possible, try to use numbers, and make sure your numbers are accurate.) Using numbers stands out your resume.

Ø  Lead your sentences with action/power words (i. e. Earned, Promoted, Analyzed, Designed, Supervised, etc.)

Ø  If your job is self-explanatory, and you need to list too many experiences, you can add 'Additional Experience' section. List only title, company name, and dates in this section.

Ø  Make sure you are using the exact words according to the job description you are applying for.

Ø  Make sure to list the dates of experience on the right hand side (either tabbed or right justified).

Ø  If yours is a functional resume, you should list and explain work experience and skills in 'Mgt', "Sales', etc. sections and then general information (i.e., title, company, dates, etc.) chronologically with no descriptions.

Leadership/Involvement, Clubs/Organizations, Awards/Honors/Activities, and Computer Skills/Language Proficiencies

Ø  You should title the section(s) as required for your accomplishments, and list the offices that you have held with those organizations.

Ø  This section is very important to most of the employers — especially if you held any leadership position. Highlight the accomplishments you have achieved in these organizations.

References

Ø  Do not put this section on your resume, and do not write 'References available upon your request' at the end of your resume.

Ø  Have a separate page and list at least 3-4 professionals (such as current or former supervisors or instructors) as references.

Ø  Avoid using the names of your personal friends or acquaintances. Make sure to include their title, company name, complete address, phone and cell number(s) as well as their email address.

Ø  Choose such persons as references who will represent you well and help you to secure the interview, which in turn will secure the position.

Ø  It is a common courtesy to seek permission before listing someone as a reference.

Ø  Make sure your reference page matches your resume heading and format.