How to Type Professional Resumes

That piece of paper stands between you and your job.

When applying for a job, try to think of yourself as a seller. Like any seller, you have to convince buyers that your product, which is you, will give them the best value for their money. With that in mind, it is important to highlight the best qualities you have to convince the person doing the hiring that you are the right person for the job.

Instructions

1. Make a list of your skills, strengths, jobs and every relevant thing you have done. Include the schools you've been to, all the previous full-time and part-time jobs you've taken, groups and organizations you are a member of, any awards and merit prizes you have won, volunteer work accomplished and any other side projects you have taken part in. Keep updating this list from time to time. It will make your work easier in the future.

2. Tailor your resume to the job you are applying for. Remember that list you made? Now it's time to weed out all the irrelevant stuff and highlight the things that your future employer would most likely want to see. When applying for a job as a newspaper reporter for example, it would be a good time to take out that entry mentioning the Sloppy Joe eating contest you won. Instead, include previous work with other newspapers and strengths that will be useful for the job, such as being skilled in investigative reporting and being able to beat deadlines.

3. Determine the type of format you wish to use for your resume. One type is the chronological format. Here, you present your work and educational experience starting from the most recent followed by the next and so forth. The resume is effective in showing recruiters the direction you have taken in your career. One problem with this format is that gaps in your career can be obvious and may have a negative effect on your application. Another problem is that fresh graduates may not have much to show with this type of format.

   Another type is the functional format, where you give emphasis to your experience and skills. This format is useful for fresh graduates, for people coming from other careers and people who have been unemployed for a substantial amount of time.

4. Type your resume. When choosing a font, remember to use one that is readable. Some suggested fonts are Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman, and Courier New. Font size should be more than 10. Margins should be at least 1 inch in size. Only headings should be in all capital letters.

   Start with your name, address and contact information followed by your objective. The following information will then depend on the format you have chosen. For chronological formats, you can start with your skills or you can put in in the last part of your resume. Enumerate your work experiences, starting from the latest all the way down to the very first job you had. You may wish to do away with that first part time job you had as a pizza delivery guy and focus on the jobs that are relevant to the position your are applying for. For functional formats, start with your relevant skills. Follow it with your work experience, highlighting the relevant jobs that either have similar job requirements or that require certain skills that can be applied to the job you are applying for. After, put in your other relevant experiences that can be applied to the job like your internships, your volunteer work or even that time you organized a concert for your neighborhood.

5. Edit your resume. Try to limit it to a single page but a maximum of two pages is forgivable. Take out all irrelevant words that serve no purpose other than to fluff up your resume. Terms like being goal oriented and a team player are just some of the words you want to keep out. Be more specific about your accomplishments and make sure your sentences are in the active voice. Instead of mentioning that you were "In charge of raising funds for a charity event," replace it with, "Raised $10,000 for a benefit concert for the blind." Imagine the human resource person going through a mountain of resumes. He may go through the first few thoroughly, but after the first dozen or so resumes, he will most likely just scan the first few items on the page. That is why your best qualities must always be at the top of your resume.

6. Proofread your resume. You may think a single typo won't be much of a problem. To the person looking at your resume, that typo could be a sign of carelessness or sloppiness that could translate to your job. Read through your resume a couple of times and make any corrections. Leave it for a day or two before looking it over again. Have your friends or family read through your resume and let them point out any weaknesses or mistakes your resume might have.

Tips & Warnings

• While it is important that your resume is only one or two pages long, don't crowd in all the text. Stuffing in all those words can tire the eyes of the people reviewing your resume and there is a big chance that they could miss the parts of the resume you have highlighted.

• Bullet points are useful in emphasizing parts that you don't want the recruiter to miss especially when they are skimming through your resume. Use it to highlight things like your relevant skills and accomplishments but remember to avoid overusing them.

References

• U.S. Department of Labor: Create an Effective Resume
• College Board: Resume Writing 101
• "AARP Bulletin"; 40 Words and Terms to Keep Off of Your Resume; Sid Kirchheimer
• Los Alamos National Laboratory: Writing an Effective Resume
• Microsoft Office; Microsoft Office Word Resume Design Tip: Using Bullets Effectively in Your Resume; Karen Hofferber; August; 2010

Resources

• Arizona Department of Transportation: Sample Resume
• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: Sample Federal Resume