Things You'll Need:
- Computer
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (or an alternative pdf reader)
- Page-design or word-processing software
- Printer
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Step 1
Design your resume. You can do this either using your computer's word-processing software or, for a more advanced design, on page-design software. When designing your resume, make sure to include your professional experience, education, professional affiliations, any professional honors you've received, a list of your references and your own contact information.
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Step 2
Check your references. Before you send out your resume, you'll want to make sure the people you've listed as your references will have good things to say about you. You should also be sure that they're not surprised when they get a phone call from a potential employer. Contact your potential references, ask them if they'd be kind enough to let you list their names, and make sure you know what contact information to use for them.
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Step 3
Proofread your resume. When potential employers are sifting through piles of resumes, a single spelling error or typo could make them disregard yours. This is because it's indicative of the quality of your work. Read your resume out loud. Use the spell-check function on your computer. If someone is nearby, have them read it, as well. A fresh pair of eyes can sometimes catch errors you wouldn't see otherwise.
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Step 4
Save your resume as a PDF. You can do this in most word-processing or page design programs. Each program is different, so consult the software's "help" guide. Often you will find a PDF saving option under "save as" or even on the "print" screen. This will create a separate, printable resume document on your computer.
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Step 5
Test your printable resume. You want to make sure it works and you don't have any margin errors before shipping it off to a potential employer. Open the new resume PDF on your computer, print it and review it. If there are errors, go back into your word-processing or page-design software to fix them and re-save as a PDF. If the resume is ready to go, ship it off to your potential boss.
