How to Prepare a Resume From Scratch

If you are not a writer or have little experience designing and formatting documents, it may seem overwhelming to write and format a resume. Simplify the task by breaking down the information into sections and consider each section of the resume separately. If you are writing the resume for a specific job opportunity, make sure your resume addresses the requirements that are specific to the job. The steps that discuss printing are optional if your resume will be submitted electronically.

Things You'll Need

• Details about past jobs and education (names, dates, locations, etc.)
• Samples of existing resumes
• Computer and printer
• Software that will format PDF files
• Quality paper and matching envelopes

Instructions

Gather Information, Ideas and Supplies

1. Make a list of all the jobs you've had, the schools you've attended, and degrees earned. Make sure you know dates and specifics such as location, job title and the name of the degree you earned. If you are listing references or awards, make sure you know specifics for those, as well.

2. Browse examples of resumes and choose a format. The two main formats are chronological and skills-oriented. Generally a chronological format is best unless you have little actual job experience or if you have periods of unemployment or a career path that jumps between unrelated jobs without a clear upward progression. You can also consider merging the two formats by adding a list of skills and abilities to a chronological resume.

3. Consult sample resumes to choose a layout. Take a look at how others format the name, contact information, and the format of the subheads. Choose a simple layout unless you are applying for a career that requires some creativity or imagination, such as graphic arts or fashion design.

4. Choose and purchase paper. If you mail your resume, choose an envelope style first, since many office supply stores have a wider variety of paper compared to envelopes. If you choose paper, then find the store does not have envelopes to match, you will have wasted your time. Choose white, off-white, beige or gray paper unless you are applying for a career in a creative field. Often, envelopes will come in packages of smaller quantities than paper, so consider how many copies you will need. Do not forget to allow enough sheets of paper for cover letters as well as resumes.

Format, Write and Print

1. Open your word processor. Begin typing. There are two ways to design a resume, and both work equally well. Some people like to type all of the relevant information in the default style and font of the word processor, and then go back and format it. Others like to set up the format as they go so they can see what the final resume will look like. Whichever method you choose, realize that nothing is set in stone until you are ready to print. The resume can always be revised if necessary.

2. Include the following sections: name and contact information, career objective, education and work experience. Consider the following optional sections as well: skills and abilities, awards and honors, activities and interests, and references. For each position you've held, list the job title, company name, dates you held the position, location (unless that would be obvious to the reader), and a brief description of the job duties and accomplishments.

3. Format the resume text. Generally, put your name and the subheads in bold. The rest of the text should be in a regular, 10 to 12 point font. Once you have all of the text formatted consistently (i.e., all of the regular text is the same size, and the subheads are consistent), examine the length of your resume. If your resume text falls short of filling a single page, see the ideas in Step 4 below to make it longer. If your resume is longer than a single page, consider the hints in Step 5 to evaluate whether to make it shorter and how to do so.

4. Take any or all of the following steps if your text falls short of one full page: consider adding any of the optional sections mentioned in Step 2 above, or add elements under any of the existing headlines. List any skills obtained from volunteer positions, break the list of skills into a list so each line is shorter, make the font a bit larger, make the margins wider, or increase the spacing between the lines. Use a format where the subheads are actually a separate column to the left of the text, so they take up more space.

5. Edit or re-format your resume if the text is longer than one page, unless you have a long and successful career that truly requires more than a one-page summary. Consider editing out repeating or unnecessary details, specifying that you can supply references upon request instead of listing them as part of the resume, leaving off high school and and part-time or summer jobs you had while still in school. The following format tricks can help make text fit on one line: reformat contact information to stretch across one or two lines rather than taking up several partial lines; make the font smaller; make the margins narrower, both on the sides and at the top and bottom of the page; consider deleting optional sections such as interests and activities. Look for sections that end with a short line of one or two words and edit those sections to make them just a bit shorter.

6. Proofread the resume a couple of times. Don't rely just on a spell check since errors can still be present. Print the resume and proofread it again. If possible, get someone else to carefully read it over and look for errors. Fix all the errors you find.

7. Print the resume and, if necessary, also print envelopes and cover letters in the quantity needed. Save or export the resume as a PDF file to ensure that it will be legible and correctly formatted for any computer.

References

• Trinity College: Write a Resume
• Wirte a Resume: Layout
• Rockport Institute: How to Write a Masterpiece of a Resume

Resources

• Examples of Resumes