How To Build Your Resume
How do you build your resume? There are a number of ways that a person can start building a resume, but not all paths lead to a successfully built resume. Below, we give you an easy step by step process for building a standard resume in the right professional format; as well as a review of what these sections should look like:
Use a Template:
A good way to start off on the right foot, with regards to your resume, is to use one of the many available resume templates that offer the right format to work from. These templates let you use their format, and to cut and paste your information right into it, so that you do not have to worry about having used the right amount of tabs, margins, and other page formatting. Using a template is highly recommended, especially for someone starting a resume from scratch.
Know that you will find different kinds of layouts for resume templates, and you should have an idea of which kind you want to use-based not just on how it looks; but also, what might showcase your career qualifications in the best light. There are three basic kinds of resume formats that you will be presented with: the chronological, the functional, and the combination. The chronological is the standard resume approach that lists your employment history in chronology from most recent to least, and focuses on this piece of your career history. The functional resume format starts off by introducing your skill sets and including bulleted lists of achievements and responsibilities in which these skills were best evidenced; while employment history is usually underscored. The last type of resume format is the combination, which is a combination of these two, and focuses on the strengths of your employment history as well as your skill sets and achievements. Depending on your particular strengths in your career qualifications, will determine which aspect(s) you want to focus on and which you would like to underscore.
Contact Information:
The first piece of information is your contact information. Including contact information that is clear, updated, and easy to use is vital to not just the outline of your resume; but also, for the simple purpose that you can be easily contacted by an employer if they are interested in your resume. This said, it should include your full name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. All should be up to date, and in some cases, you may want to include an alternate phone and email-depending on how many means of communication you use. Moreover, make sure to make your full name stand out a bit as it is a header for your resume. You can do this by making it slightly larger than the standard font in your resume, using bold, and perhaps underline as well; but do not go over the top, as it must look professional at all costs. This is what it should look like:
Joe Thomas:
23 Rosewood Avenue
Laguna Beach, CA 34567
(h)555-555-5555
(m)555-666-6666
joethomas@emailaddress.com
Employment History:
Based on what kind of format that you decide to use, either you employment history or your skills/achievements will come next. If you opt for a chronological format, you will have a section on employment history that lists the dates that you were employed, the name of the employer, your job title, the location of the employer, as well as a bulleted list of your responsibilities and achievements with that company. Each segment under this category should be organized in most recent to least recent, and should showcase the past ten years of employment. In the case in which you have just graduated from college and have minimal experience in your field, the education section should come before employment history. This said, the standard employment section should look like this:
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
7-08 to Present Public Relations Professional:
Howards Public Relations Solutions:
Detroit, MI 44567:
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Administrative Assistant; Public Relations Department:
P.R. Professionals Inc.:
Detroit, MI 44567:
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
If, on the other hand, you chose to use a skills based or functional resume format, your section on your employment history, might look the same; but you skills/achievements section would begin the document, and it should be built like this:
Communications Skills:
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Organizational Skills:
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Analytical Skills:
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
Responsibility/achievement
If you want to really make your resume stand out, you may use the same skills sections but create a panel presentation in which you include all skills side by side in a box. Either way, that is the best way to showcase skills and achievements in a functional resume format.
Education:
Next, comes the education section. No matter which format you use, you will need to include a section on your education. While the section on education is pretty cut and dry, there are some exceptions as to how to include it. For example, if you have no higher education beyond high school, list only high school, and include details about your extracurricular activities and achievements during that time. If, on the other hand, you have higher education after high school, do not include high school at all-as it is not specialized enough so that an employer would have any interest in it. List your higher educational degrees and coursework from most recent to least, and include the following details for each: degree obtained, name of school, years attended, and any applicable achievements. It should look like this:
EDUCATION:
2001-2004 Bachelors Degree in English:
Dartmouth University; Lebanon, N.H.:
Magna cum Laude; GPA 3.4:
Leader of the poetry club
Forward on Varsity Soccer Team
Student Council President
Skills and Achievements:
If you have chosen a chronological resume format, then you should include a skills/achievements section on your resume, to highlight the skills and achievements that you have to offer, that your employment history perhaps did not give attention. If you have used a functional format, you do not need to include this section. What sorts of information should be included here? It really depends. If you feel you have more skill sets and achievements to list, as was listed in the skills and achievement example in a functional resume format; approach it with the same form. If, on the other hand, you instead-or as well-have other certifications and/or professional work that doesnt apply to your employment history, that you would like to include; include it here. This would mean perhaps in a field where certification in the industry is required, or if you participated in an internship or volunteer work, or have taken other classes or coursework aside from college. It should be noted that depending on what kind of extra information you have to offer, that you should name the section accordingly. Here is what it should look like:
OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Volunteered at Paugus Bay Animal Shelter; Summer 2008
Licensed in Veterinary Tech; Paugus Bay Training Institute; 2007-2008
