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How to Make a Resume on My Computer

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One of the most important parts to any successful job search is the resume. This piece of paper gives a potential employer a look into your professional career and qualifications for the job you are applying for. A good resume can mean the difference between a job offer and not receiving an interview. If you are interested in creating a dynamic resume, you should use a word-processing program on a computer.

Choose which word-processing sofware you want to use. Most users use Microsoft Word, but there are other programs that can do different things. Wordperfect and Open Office Writer, for example, have different templates which can make for some nice resumes. Choose the program you are most familiar with.

Decide how you want your resume to be laid out. Some resumes list the job history and then a list of duties pertaining to each job. Others list the applicant's skills first and then list the jobs and titles after that. There is no right or wrong way as long as the information is given in a concise manner.

Open a blank page on your word processor. Type out all the jobs you had and what you did in those obs. Make sure you have the correct dates for your employment for each of those jobs. You will be transferring the information to the resume.

Open a second new document. If your word processor has templates, enter the template menu and choose a resume template. If not, you will have to enter in the information in from scratch.

Type your name, address, email address, and phone number at the top of the page. This is the first place people will look when they want to contact you. You can choose to center this information, leave it to the left, or split it up so there is contact information on both sides of the page.

Continue down the page, typing the information into the word processor in the style you chose. If you are listing your jobs, copy and paste from the first document. Make sure you differentiate between companies and jobs by using bold and italic text styles. If you are listing skills first, organize the skills into categories and then copy the relevant skills into these categories. For example, if you are an accountant, you might have sections for "Accounting," "Analysis" and "Management."

Differentiate sections of your document with line breaks. When you come to the end of the employment section, for example, add a line break before you go into your education section.

Place nice paper into the printer. A paper with a good weight will help set your resume apart from the others that hiring managers receive. Make sure your printer can print the heavier paper. Print the resume.

Tip

Make sure you save your work often in a file with an easily recognizable name. For example, you may save your file as "Smith Resume." This will make it easy to find on your computer, and your potential employers will know what they are opening when you attach your resume to an email.

Keep the resume to one or two pages. It should be short and to the point and should provide a glimpse into your work history.

Writer

R.L. Cultrona is a San Diego native and a graduate of San Diego State University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in theater, television and film with a minor in communications and political science. She began writing online instructional articles in June 2009.