How to Write a Resume
If you are in the process of beginning a search for a new job, you might be wondering how to write a resume. Since your resume is often your first introduction to a potential employer, you will want to make sure it represents you and your career strengths in the best way possible. It should be neatly formatted and easy to read. With many companies receiving a large number of resumes for current job openings, it is important for yours to be effective in order for it to be pulled out of the pile. Here are some suggestions to help you figure out how to write a resume that can help you land a great job.
There is no one format that you must use for your resume. However, there are a few general guidelines to consider following as you are drafting your document. First, it is often suggested that you try to limit your resume to one page in length. Prospective employers may not read past the first page of a longer resume, so they could miss important information about you if your document is longer. Even if you are trying to fit a lot of text onto the page, try not to make the font size too small for employers to easily read. Perhaps first try using narrower margins in order to fit more text onto the page.
Typically candidates include their full name, physcial address, phone number and email address at the top of the resume. This way it will be easy for a prospective employer to contact you for an interview. After your contact information, you will likely want to highlight your relevant experience as well as your education. Those who have already been in the workforce for a while might decide to list their prior job experience before their education history. However, it is not uncommon for recent high school and college graduates to list their education before any work experience. Those who are making a career switch may opt to begin with whichever one is more relevant to their new career track.
When listing your career history, you might want to put your jobs in chronological order beginning with your current or most recent job. Include the company name, your job title and the dates you started and ended your position. Give either a brief summary or a short bullet point list of your duties and accomplishments for each job. It could be helpful to note any performance goals which you achieved, the computer programs in which you became proficient and any duties that you excelled at which may have been above and beyond your job description. However, it is adviseable not to exaggerate your role on the job or to inflate your title. If a prospective employer is interested in you, he or she may likely ask to contact your former employer to confirm your job history. You want your resume to be an honest representation of your best qualifications.
One final suggestion is to look at resumes written by other people in your field who have obtained jobs to see if there are any formatting trends that seem to be common in your industry.
