Resume Writing Tips
So you have decided it is time to revamp your resume. You are thinking about looking for another job, maybe in a completely different career field and you have to get your resume ready. You look at your resume and think it looks okay, just a few additions here and there and you will be fine. But will you? Are you leaving something out? Do you have too much of one thing? Let’s look at some of my resume tips to get your resume up and running!
1 – Be sure to have your name, address, phone number, and email address on the top.
Yes, you need to include all of the above. Companies are different nowadays and they might prefer the email method of contacting you versus the phone. Be sure that you have all of these on the top of your resume.
2 – Verify that your email address and other contact info sound professional.
No, cutiepie21@hotmail.com is not a professional email address. Do you really think you can be taken seriously with this? No. Get an email address that just has your name in it or some form of your name and some numbers in it. Nothing too crazy, but something that sounds more professional and can be taken seriously.
3 – Include jobs that are most relevant to your desired career.
You want to include jobs that are in line with what you are looking for. If you have not held an exact job in that field, then you will include your job, but tailor your responsibilities to that job. Also, look at volunteer opportunities as well. You can include those if you need to.
4 – Describe your responsibilities and accomplishments at your listed jobs, be specific!
Notice I did not say LIST your responsibilities. No, I said to describe them. If you worked in a restaurant and were a dishwasher and waitress, you can find many of the responsibilities that you did and tailor them and make them sound much more interesting. Don’t know how to do that? Google is your best friend! You can google examples and tailor those for your resume.
5 – Have a key skills section for those skills that you want the employer to know about.
There are certain skills that you have that will help you to be a better candidate for the job. Showcase them. Have a skills section on your resume and let them shine through right there!
6 – Make sure your resume template matches the tone of your industry.
Honestly, I always believe a more simplistic template is best, but if that is not you, you can look around at different templates. You just don’t want to use a template that looks like an elementary school teacher and try to use it for an executive-type position. Be smart with what you choose!
7 – Make sure your text is aligned and consistent in format.
You want all lines to be lined up. This should be automatic with your template, but there are times when you might need to go through and fix this. Also, use the same font throughout. Do not use different fonts trying to stand out and be sure to format it so that the same font is used.
8 – Incorporate keywords that make it scannable.
Many businesses have a resume scanner. What this means is that when you read a job description and see what the requirements are, those keywords need to be in your resume or it will be thrown out. It will be run through the scanner and if those words are not located, goodbye!
9- Proofread for grammar and spelling.
Do not trust spellcheck! Always use human eyes to be sure that everything is okay here.
10 – Convert your resume to a PDF.
A PDF is more compatible with all systems. All you have to do is find a free PDF converter online and do it that way. You have a better chance of it being opened this way!
I hope these tips help! I have also attached a free checklist of these tips, so be sure to click below and keep one to access any time you are working on your resume!
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Also, have you signed up for my work from home job leads??? Be sure to click here for that!
You can also download a resume template here to better help you with your resume:
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Let me know if you have any questions!
Later!
Kara
