Your job resume represents your first opportunity to make a good impression on a potential employer. Because many busy employers receive hundreds of resumes, you must ensure that employers do not have to hunt to find your skills and experiences on your resume. Highlight the most important and relevant skills to the job for which you are applying on a clear, visually appealing resume.
Step 1
Tailor your resume to the specific job description of the position for which you are applying. Review the job description, and look for keywords describing required skills and qualifications, as well as preferred skills. Include work experience on your resume that reflects these skills and qualifications, and use the same keywords that appeared in the job description wherever possible. Do not include jobs or experience that you would not want to discuss or elaborate on in an interview.
Step 2
Choose a format for your resume, and use it to organize all of your content. For example, you might write your resume in reverse chronological order, with the most recent experience in each section first. Or you might select a functional format for your resume, in which you list your experience according to the importance of the skills you developed. The chronological format works best for college students or recent graduates, while the functional format works better for candidates with advanced degrees or extensive experience.
Step 3
Separate your content into several clear sections, For example, you might include an education section, a relevant work experience section and a skills section for language and computer expertise.
Step 4
Keep bullet point indentation and spaces between entries consistent. You can choose to format your resume however you want, but the formatting should remain consistent and clean throughout the document.
Step 5
Provide informative bullet points to describe the skills you gained, and the impact you had in each job. Use active verbs to describe the tasks you performed. Examples of active verbs include coordinated, collaborated, expedited, developed, researched, planned, organized, negotiated, streamlined and programmed. Quantify your achievements wherever possible. For example, indicate that you "Increased sales by 15 percent" or "Managed 10 tables per night in a fast-paced restaurant environment."
Step 6
Include your name, address, city, state, ZIP code, phone number and email address at the top of the resume.
Step 7
Type the resume in a readable font, preferably 12 point. Use the same font and size throughout the resume. Use boldface, italics or underlining to highlight specific information.
Step 8
Check spelling and grammar thoroughly, and have several friends or coworkers check spelling and grammar, as well.
Step 9
Print the resume on neutral-colored paper with a heavier weight than ordinary copy paper.
Tips and Warnings
- Keep your resume to one page if you can, especially if you are a college student or recent graduate. Candidates with advanced degrees or extensive experience can use more pages. Only include your grade-point average if it is above 3. Bring several copies of your resume to each interview.
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