How to Create a Quality Resume

So, you are in the market for a new job or are preparing to search for a new job opportunity? Before you take the leap into the job pool, it is important to create a quality resume. A resume is your selling point—it sells you. It is important that you write a resume that advertises who you are, what skills and abilities you possess and how experienced you are. Future employers want to see a concise no-nonsense professional outline of the accomplishments made by a perspective applicant, which they can easily sift through as they search for the right fit for the job. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Use a pre-formatted resume template or design it from scratch. Remember to keep the design and format simple, because it is not the fluff and pretty design that will get you the job, but rather, the information you include in your resume.

2. Place your full name and relevant contact information at the top of your resume. The contact information should include: name, address, email, home phone number and cellphone number. When typing your name, it should be in a larger sized standard font and bold so it will stand out.

3. Include a brief objective. This portion should cover a simply summary that references the position you are applying for, strong points that make you a quality candidate and specific relevant skills that pertain to the position you are applying for. Try to keep the objective summary to a minimum of one short paragraph, because human resource has numerous applicants to sift through and are really interested a quick reference of the applicant and not a novel.

4. List a bullet point reference of the most relevant skills you have experience in. This could be anything from computer skills to speaking a foreign language. However, keep it brief but truthful.

5. Create a chronological list of work experience that spans back to your last 3 to 5 job positions. Each job reference should include: dates of employment, name of company, title of position, contact information and bullet points outlining relevant job duties. You can also make note of any important milestone you accomplished with and for this company.

6. Outline educational experiences. This should be listed in the order of most recent college/technical training back to high school. List any awards, academic achievements, offices held and high grade point averages you received at each learning institution.

7. Give a brief listing of any professional affiliations, volunteerism, interests or hobbies. This will give future employers a glimpse into your personality and character.

8. Write a cover letter that will compliment your resume. A cover letter works as an introduction to your resume and should be conversational yet professional. It should reveal your personality, while introducing who you are.

9. Check all writing for spelling and grammar. A crisp clean and well formatted resume will speak volumes to a potential employer. It shows that you are detail oriented, conscientious and professional on all levels.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your words concise and try to omit repetitive words that create a bit of redundancy in your resume.
• The language you use should be powerful and truthful, yet delivered in an easy to read manner. Remember, you are marketing yourself and trying to convince human resources to call you up for an interview.