How to Create a Free Resume

Resumes are very important in the job-seeking process. A good resume can secure an interview with a desired company and a bad resume can be filed away without a second look. Resume editing is done easily with a computer, printer, and word-processing software. Creating a free resume is not difficult, though a good resume will look professionally created and will display clean, precise writing. Choosing the correct style of resume is important, as some styles are more suited to different industries.

Instructions

Chronological Resume

1. Write an outline. Begin with a 25- to 75-word objective, which indicates your employment goals. Write the objective in a rough draft format and highlight your desire for a full-time position in the industry of your career.

2. Sketch out dates of employment and accomplishments as bullet points. Plot employers and accomplishments in chronological order.

3. List skills developed at each employer and any awards won. Mention any training completed.

4. Keep it short and to the point. Avoid the use of flowery or verbose sentences, and be careful to avoid redundancy between positions. Highlight experience without the use of the personal pronouns such as "I," but avoid using sentence fragments.

5. Gather dates of education and degrees earned. Complete the education section with appropriate dates and skills learned. Related coursework should be listed under this heading as well.

6. Create a second page for references. References should not be sent without being requested by the company. Include at least five references that can speak for your abilities on the job and your educational background. Include phone numbers and addresses. Obtain permission from individuals you intend to use as references in the job-seeking process.

7. Review your work and complete your final draft. Ask for help from a trusted friend in noticing grammatical errors and badly worded passages.

Functional Resumes

1. Plot out career-oriented skills earned in positions, focusing heavily on the skills used in the current career path and omitting others that may not pertain to current goals.

2. List skills under the heading in order of importance, and write about the use of the skills in short sentences. List five to seven skills and information around them, but do not repeat any information.

3. List employers last. A functional resume should draw away from gaps in employment or positions that did not focus on current career goals. A functional resume should not focus too heavily on employers but rather breadth of knowledge about the industry.

4. Read over the draft and check for grammatical errors and accuracy. Revise as necessary, and have another person look over the resume to double-check for wording.

Tips & Warnings

• Functional resumes are preferred in some industries, such as informational technology. Tailor your resume to suit the industry, and feel free to creatively mix functional and chronological elements into your resume. Use a standard font, such as Arial or Times New Roman. Headings can have some professional color to accentuate the name of the individual, but don't exceed the use of two colors on a professional resume. Education can be moved to a second page if work experience completes an entire page. Education can also be highlighted on the same page as references.

References

• Resume Creation Tips
• Sample Resumes
• Resume Etiquitte