The following free tips will give you some guidance on how to make a resume. But keep in mind that these free tips are just guidelines. Everyone's background is different so there's no single formula to make a resume that fits all cases. So use these tips to guide your thought process but trust your own common sense on how to handle specific issues when you make your own resume.
If you'd like me to review your finished document and give you specific recommendations on how to make your resume better, I offer.
If you'd like me to review your finished document and give you specific recommendations on how to make your resume better, I offer.
Here's how to make a resume that will get you noticed:
- Before you write the first word of your resume, determine the position and industry you want to target. Then make an outline of your presentation and fill the details of your background keeping the focus on your target.
- Avoid the functional resume format. Too many negatives associated with it).
- The general rule for page length is 1-page for typical entry level college students and 2 pages for everyone else. There can be exceptions to this but the longer the resume, the less likely it will be read. So be concise.
- Don't include a picture of yourself unless you're in an industry that requires a photograph (e.g., TV, theatre, film).
- Don't include personal information (marital status, children, date of birth, ethnicity) on a US style resume. Note that this information is generally acceptable when preparing an international CV.
- Put your name on the first line of the page in a large font with your contact information immediately below it. Don't include cell phone or pager numbers.
- Use a summary section "intro" to give the reader a brief picture of your background. Make this section very short and strong.
- Include a bulleted list in your experience section to showcase your accomplishments. Make these statements short and strong. Use quantifiable information and action verbs.
- Use a font size between 10 and 12 for your body text. Choose a font that's compatible with Resumix and other applicant tracking systems that employers use.
- If you have negative information in your background, try to avoid including it on your resume if you can. If you can't, then present it in a way that lessens the negative impact. For example, often older workers attempt to disguise their age by omitting their dates of employment and college graduation dates. This approach rarely fools anyone and actually can backfire by making the reader say to himself/herself: "If this candidate is worried about their age, maybe I should be worried about it, too". I recommend turning negative issues such as age into positives. Always turn your lemons into lemonade.
- Watch the tone of your resume. Don't write in an arrogant, pompous, or self-serving manner. You're going to have a tough time selling yourself to a prospective employer if he/she feels you're talking down to them.
- Make sure your resume is accurate and be honest with what you say. It's OK to present yourself in the best light you can but an outright lie can hurt you later on if the truth comes out. It happens all the time.
- Don't include salary information or your references on your resume document.
