When applying for jobs, internships, colleges or universities, one is often asked to send in a resume. Resumes provide employers or admission offices some basic background information that is required to pass their initial screening tests, such as education level, years of work experience, and so on. Also, a well-done resume can be an indicator of the professionalism of an individual by showing off their excellent writing skills and high standards. Most importantly, it gives employers a chance to get to know the applicant on a more personal level, such as reading their hobbies and interests. Everything that is on a resume goes into consideration whether the person is qualified for the particular position, which is why it is important to write a proficient resume and update it regularly to appeal to potential employers.
The first step in writing a good resume is to understand the purpose of resumes. They are meant to give a brief overview of an individual—not too detailed, not too broad. A good resume will be concise, easy to read, and interesting. In this step, one must make sure not to include irrelevant information. Instead, the information provided should be directly related to the position that is being applied for. For example, someone applying for a job at Microsoft would probably not want to include their work experience at Taco Bell from ten years ago. In this step, it is important to visualize exactly what one wants on their resume, and be prepared to make alterations based on different positions they will possibly apply for as those opportunities arise.
Secondly, it is imperative that a resume is easy to read. It is important to use good taste and keep resumes more on the conservative side. This means avoiding things such as colored paper and unusual fonts, or cheesy gimmicks such as using the company’s product as the shape of the paper. It also includes using varied word choices, proper grammar, and other writing techniques that will show off a person’s intelligence and competence to the employer. In its most basic terms, most resumes are written in size 12, Times New Roman font.
Next, a person should decide on the format and positioning of the content included in the resume. There are two basic forms of positioning information—chronological and functional. A chronological resume is much more common than the latter, and will list current work all the way down to a person’s first job. Chronological resumes work well for people who have remained in the same profession and can demonstrate an evolving, improving history of experience. For people who change jobs frequently, it can make them appear less reliable and knowledgeable. For the people who change their job frequently, or who may have been on a career hiatus, a functional resume may be a better choice. A functional resume is more focused on specific skills, rather than presenting jobs in chronological order. It is important to note that most resumes are a combination of both chronological and functional.
After that, it is a good idea to make what is called a “master list.” A master list will serve as a background document when creating and/or altering a resume. It will include a list of all work experience, educational degrees or awards, and non-paid/volunteer work. Over a lifetime, resumes will appear quite different as people may want to emphasize a different set of skills for different positions. It is helpful to format the master list in chronological order, that way it is easy to find certain skills and pull from it quickly to put into a resume.
The next step is the actual writing of the resume and considering the content carefully. Resumes should normally not exceed 3 ½ pages in length, maybe more only if a person has had a considerable amount of work experience. On average, a resume is given about two minutes reading time, so it is important to keep the information brief, but still contain content that matters and markets a person in a positive way. In this step, an individual will want to list their work and educational history (including start and finish dates), relevant scholarships or awards, and licenses and/or degrees that are related to the position. A person should include their name, an address, phone number, and e-mail address at top of resume for quick and easy identification. In addition, including references with their name, phone number, and professional/educational relationship is important because it provides employers the means to find out any “dirt” on a person. It is important to keep the tone positive throughout the resume. Provide accomplishments instead of just a list of duties at a particular job. In turn, this will show your successes to a potential employer.
There are some cautions one must be aware of when writing a resume. It is essential that a person does not inflate any work or educational achievements in order to seem more qualified for a position. If an employer does their research and found that the information was exaggerated, it can really take away from the credibility of a person. In addition, a person shouldn’t over-qualify themselves in their resume—some information should always be saved for the interview. Also, avoid listing weaknesses, or coming across as arrogant or hard to work with in a resume. While it might seem fine to include that a person may be strong willed and stands their ground in a dispute, this can suggest that they are inflexible and disinterested in listening to others' opinions-- not likely to be someone a boss is keen to have on board.
