How to Build a Solid Resume
Creating a solid resume is a serious undertaking. Your resume is typically your first chance to make an impression on a prospective employer. The best resumes are brief and easy to skim -- a way to grab a prospective employer's attention. Most jobs require an interview, and in order to get an interview you need to have an excellent resume.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- A computer with word processing software such as Microsoft Word
- Your work history
- Printer
- Resume paper
Instructions
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Get Organized
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Choose a resume format. Typical resume formats include chronological (work experience is listed in reverse chronological order), functional (skills and experiences are categorized by function), and combination (skills are grouped by function and sorted chronologically in reverse order).
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2
Study the employer's needs. What are they looking for? What experiences of yours best fit their needs? Select which of your experiences you will include in your resume based on the employer's needs.
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3
Consider including an introductory summary highlighting your strengths and how they would benefit the employer.
Create the Resume
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Type the resume in the format you have chosen. List your previous positions with the job title and a brief description. For each employer include bulleted highlights of your accomplishments that match the needs of the job to which you are applying.
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5
Meticulously review your resume for formatting, spelling, grammar and typographical errors.
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6
Print your resume to review it in hard copy format to catch errors you may have missed while reviewing it on the computer.
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Ask a friend to review your resume for errors and for general feedback. Make corrections and adjustments as appropriate.
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Print your resume on high quality resume paper, or prepare an electronic version to be emailed.
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Tips & Warnings
Even if you have experiences that are dramatic and impressive, if they don't match with what an employer is looking for, consider omitting them from your resume.
Use action words for the first word in the bullet points.
As you go through life you will have new experiences to add to your resume so you should continually update it.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit typing image by DXfoto.com from Fotolia.com
