Writing a resume is a seemingly daunting task. Both applying for jobs and getting internships typically require a resume, but not many people know how to properly craft a professional resume. Though many jobs don’t require a resume, presenting one is always impressive, even if it’s just for a part time job waitressing. Having applied for several jobs and attended several resume building courses, these are some of the best tips I’ve learned for writing a professional resume.
1. Try to keep your resume to a page. This has been stressed to me on numerous occasions. As you are only talking about the most relevant information, there shouldn’t be an issue keeping the resume to a page. If you need to go over, make sure it’s for a good reason such as adding more relevant job experience or training you’ve had for the internship/job. On average, employers only look at a resume for six or seven seconds, so make yourself stand out!
2. Your name, email, address, and phone number should all be found in the header of the resume. Make sure your name is slightly bigger than the rest of the information, so it stands out and catches the eye of the interviewer.
3. The email address used on a resume should be a professional email address, but not a school email address. School emails disappear after a while and some companies keep resumes for up to three years. If they reach out on an old email address, you may miss out on a good job opportunity.
4. Be as detailed but brief as possible. Use strong action words to make yourself stand out in your work experience and project experience descriptions.
5. Do not include any extra curriculars from high school on a professional resume unless they are relevant to the job. If you are applying for a job in the business field, mentioning that you were president of your school’s Future Business Leaders of America club is relevant, but saying that
you were a member of the cooking club isn’t relevant. This allows the interviewer to focus on the relevant information.
6. Create your own resume template, not one generated by a site online. Employers look for something that is unique and your own, not a template you found on Microsoft. Those can be used for reference but not the final resume.
7. Be transparent with your social media profiles. Most companies will research you and your online presence if they are truly interested. Save them the time of trying to find your accounts by including links to your social media accounts on the resume.
8. Check for errors before you submit! Make sure to have several friends and coworkers review the resume before you send it. This ensures that there are no grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors that might cost you a job.