How To Build A Resume Step By Step

How do you build a resume for the first time, or perhaps the twentieth time-on a step by step basis? Here are the basic steps that anyone creating a resume to properly show their career qualifications to an employer, should employ on their resume:

Step 1: Determine Career Goals:

The first step in building a resume that is effective at showcasing your career qualifications is to determine what your career goals are. Though many people believe that regardless of what type of position that they are applying for, the same professional resume will work as it showcases education and experience; they are wrong-as a resume should always be geared towards a certain position and a certain career. This said, you need to be clear on just what these career goals are.

Step 2: Review Job Postings:

Though you may think that you should get your resume together and then search and apply for applicable positions; it is really much more effective to review a bunch of career positions that call for resumes, and determine from the job postings; what the most important skills sets, years of experience, and education are to know what you should be including-when applicable-in your own resume. Though your experience and education will remain the same, how you portray them with various responsibilities and skills learned will make an effective difference in how your resume is received.

Step 3: Consider Optional Objective:

The next step in building your resume is to determine if you want to include an objective. Some applicants use them, while others never do. How do you know if you should include one? It is entirely up to you, but in many cases, an objective can help direct an employer to your goals, main qualifications, and your interest in their company right away for them-thereby making you a more valuable candidate. As a part of what any employer wants of a potential employee, is that they be career minded and thus responsible and dependable. They want to see that you are not likely to up and get a new job, after they have trained you in their company. Proof of this dependability is often sought through a clear and demonstrative career goal, as stated in an objective.

Step 4: Report Employment History:

Though your employment history may not be coming first or second on your resume; it is for most employers, the heart of the resume, and the heart of your career qualifications. Start with just listing the basic information for each position that you have held over the past ten years, such as: name of company, position title, years employed, city/state of company, etc. Then , once you have this in place, consider what your most significant responsibilities and contributions to each were-regardless of how related or unrelated they may be to the position you are seeking to obtain. Often employers will see correlations in the transferable skills and experience you may have acquired at one place of employment to their place of employment. This is why when formulating the details of each of your past positions that you keep this in mind.

Step 5: State Educational Experience:

Depending on your career and your interests, you may have a high school degree or more advanced higher learning to fill this section; but make sure that you keep to the rule of only including high school information if you do not have any higher education from a college or university. Moreover, list the basic information of each school attended: the dates attended, the name of the school, the degree obtained, any related achievements, and the location of the school. Under this, you may want to include that you graduated with honors, had a high cumulative GPA, or any specialized coursework you might have participated in. Report all educational experience from most recent to least.

Step 6: Include Other Affiliations and/or Achievements:

Depending on what else you may be able to offer an employer, you should include either a Skills and Achievements section or a Professional Affiliations and Other Relevant Experience or something to either effect, respectively. The former of these will include things like being on the Dean’s List, or winning a Debate Team award; while the latter of these should include things like being a member of the Soccer team, Assistant Editor of the school newspaper, or volunteering for a local nonprofit.

Step 7: Include Basics:

Once you have the meat of the document drafted, you need to make sure to include the contact information at the top of the document, and a “References upon Request” statement at the bottom of the document. Contact information should be the first piece of information that you offer a potential employer and should include: your full name, address, phone, alternate phone (if applicable), email address, and alternate email address (if applicable). The references upon request shows potential employers that you have professional references that you will offer them, when asked.