How to Write a First-Time Resume
Looking for a job requires a lot of patience and a bit of skill. You can spend hours searching Help Wanted ads, openings posted on line and even talking to your friends about helping you find a job. But perhaps the most important aspect of finding a good job is composing a great resume, which is a listing of skills and accomplishments that make you a viable candidate for the job you want. Building the perfect first resume may seem difficult, but the time and effort spent on it will make all the difference once you land a job interview.
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Instructions
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Make your heading at the top center of the page, with information that includes your name, phone number, email address and location. You will want to include an appropriate email address that sounds professional; sexygurl2000@email.com will not make the cut.
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Think about any previous jobs and activities you have taken part in, as well as any skills you have acquired through these experiences. For instance, if you worked at a retail store as a cashier, you can include that you have experience dealing with customers, as well as experience with a cash register or computing discounts and percentages on items. If you have limited work experience, you will want to focus more on your skills and education, as well as any relevant volunteer work or activities.
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Write out a brief summary of your immediate occupational or career goal in a heading titled "Objective." For instance, if you send your resume to a sales department, you will want to state that your goal is to "Assist in sales by using my experience and confidence in sales' techniques." Of course, you will want to qualify the objective with more specific information, including things such as your work at a retail store or as a tour guide. You will want to stay as specific to the position you're applying for as possible.
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Cut your achievements, work experience and activities into a few headings. If you have only had one or two jobs thus far in your life, you may want to assemble a list of headings that includes Skills, Work Experience and Activities. You can also include Educational Experience, as recommended by Kate Lorenz of CareerBuilder.com.
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List your "Skills" under the "Objective" section in a bulleted format. Include only skills that might help you land a job interview with the company to whom you're sending the resume.
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List in brief detail descriptions of education, work experience or activities under each respective heading. You will want to have a title for each position you've held, and write in bulleted format the responsibilities of each experience. You will also want to include the months and years spent on these endeavors.
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Be specific and use numbers where applicable. In your descriptions of particular work experiences, you will want to avoid using generalized statements like "Used cash register and spoke with customers." Instead, you will want to say something along the lines of "Responsible for 150+ transactions a day." Potential employers like statistics, as Barbara Mulligan of JobWeb.com suggests.
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References
- Photo Credit resume image by Danil Vachegin from Fotolia.com
