Ways to Write an excellent Resume

Updating your resume is a smart move to make sure you’re ready when seeking new employment or changing career paths. In a competitive job market, how can you make your resume stand out? Let’s explore some resume writing tips that cater to various job seekers – from those creating their first resume to career changers aiming to present their experience and skills effectively.

Essential Considerations for Resume Writing: 6 Key Factors

Are you seeking guidance on crafting your job search tool? Here are some practical pointers to remember while composing a resume.

1. Work Smarter, Not Harder

Before drafting your resume, determine the role you’re applying for. Instead of sending out numerous generic resumes, focus on one or two specific positions. This approach saves you from tailoring your resume repeatedly.
Moreover, this strategy lets you contemplate your career trajectory. Evaluate if the prospective role aligns with your career aspirations.

2. Be Precise and Concise

One of the valuable resume writing tips is precision, especially for candidates with diverse work backgrounds and numerous skills. Once you’ve chosen a job target, customize your resume accordingly. Irrelevant skills and work history make your resume longer than necessary. Remember that hiring managers sift through countless resumes daily. Hence, ensure all content is pertinent.
If unsure about inclusions, particularly when switching careers, consult the job description. Additionally, tailor your cover letter for the desired role, not your current one.

3. Eliminate Redundancies

Avoid using pronouns like “I,” “me,” or “my.” It’s implied that you’re referring to yourself, rendering these pronouns unnecessary. This also conserves space, even the tiniest bit. Every inch of your resume (ideally confined to one page) is prime real estate not to be squandered on superfluous words.

4. Prioritize Essential Information

Given that most recruiters quickly scan resumes, it’s crucial to have the vital details in the top section (first half) of your resume. This increases the likelihood of hiring managers noticing the standout qualities that set you apart as a candidate.

5. Customize Your Template

Using a template is acceptable, but treat it as a guide rather than a rigid structure. Failing to modify your template comes across as unoriginal and uncreative, suggesting a lack of adaptability. Moreover, adhering blindly to a template might hinder your presentation of strengths. You’re the expert on yourself, aware of which aspects deserve spotlight. Tailor your template to present your best self.

6. Embrace Modern Trends

A vital piece of advice among resume writing tips is staying current with the evolving landscape. Present trends in resume composition emphasize the integration of technology and the digital realm. Noteworthy trends include:

• Incorporating Social Media Details

More and more hiring managers are exploring candidates’ social media to assess their professionalism. You can streamline their assessment by providing relevant links. Ensure your profiles are well-curated or at least free from unprofessional content. If necessary, set them to private.

• Showcasing a Digital Portfolio

This is especially pivotal for those in creative fields. Sharing a link to your portfolio saves you from hauling physical samples and enables hiring managers to easily view your talents.

• Crafting Mobile-Friendly Resumes and Documents

Given the prevalence of mobile job search apps and email checks on phones, create a resume that displays well on mobile devices. This adjustment accommodates hiring managers reviewing your application on their phones.

• Balancing Visual Appeal

Craft an eye-catching header to capture hiring managers’ attention. Nevertheless, don’t sacrifice readability for aesthetics. Leverage visual elements strategically, employing them to emphasize specific aspects, such as accomplishments.

• Removing Outdated Sections

These might encompass objective statements and personal references. Note that retaining copies of your references is wise; interviewers or hiring managers might request them as needed. Including them can seem presumptuous since it’s already assumed that you possess references.

Effective Resume Writing Tips: Selecting and Employing the Optimal Format

Diverse resume formats highlight distinct elements, so opt for the most fitting one based on your objective. We’ve outlined various types of resume formats along with the scenarios in which they excel, aiding you in determining the most suitable option.
Prior to crafting your resume, decide on a format that aligns with your intended narrative approach, as this can vary for each format.

1 ) Chronological Continue

Resume Format Selection: Highlighting Different Formats

Chronological resumes arrange work history from latest to earliest, showcasing your progression through various roles. This format suits individuals with substantial work experience. However, it may not be suitable for candidates with employment gaps due to factors like unemployment, breaks, or termination.

2. Functional Resume

The functional resume is ideal for those with gaps in their work history. This format emphasizes skills, responsibilities, and accomplishments across previous roles. It omits dates, making it effective for those with employment gaps. Additionally, it aids career changers by showcasing transferable skills compensating for limited experience.

3. Combination Resume

A combination resume amalgamates elements of both aforementioned formats to capitalize on their advantages. This format presents positions and achievements chronologically, starting with the most recent. It suits candidates with diverse job experiences.
A strategic approach to crafting a combination resume involves listing your most impressive skills, accomplishments, and responsibilities, then following with a brief chronological work history.

4. Targeted Resume

Targeted resumes are designed for situations where a candidate’s career history includes both relevant and unrelated positions to their target job. In this format, sift through your work history and group pertinent experiences, placing them prominently. Unrelated positions are listed minimally to emphasize the pertinent content.

Resume Writing Tips: Focusing on Content

After settling on a resume format, it’s time to craft your resume. Consider these resume writing tips to enhance various aspects of the content.

1. Design and Aesthetics

As mentioned in the general resume writing tips, strive for a balance between visual appeal and readability. To create a professional resume, utilize visual elements to segregate different sections effectively.
Bullet points should be employed to emphasize key details, such as achievements. Bulleted points are quicker to read and comprehend (making them ideal for conveying important information) while breaking up text. Lengthy paragraphs strain the reader’s eyes and may overlook potential white space, an essential design aspect.

Ensure a balanced distribution of white space on your resume. Inadequate white space results in a cluttered appearance, whereas excessive white space renders the resume sparse. Adequate white space maximizes the document’s visual appeal without wasting valuable real estate.

2. Storytelling

A crucial tenet of resume writing is recognizing the narrative nature. Your resume is a story. Consequently, adhere to the storytelling principle of “show, don’t tell.”
Incorporate impactful power words to describe yourself, revealing a glimpse of your personality. Feature skills and responsibilities pertinent to the job description. However, mere words hold little weight without substantiating evidence.

Hence, always couple your self-description with accomplishments. “Reduced stock checking time by 20% in 2020” is more impressive than “efficiently checked stock for three years.” Incorporating facts and figures bolsters your credibility. Ensure you have documented proof of these achievements.

Don’t shy away from taking credit for your contributions in previous roles. The notion that you shouldn’t is a misconception. However, avoid claiming sole responsibility for team efforts. Such claims compromise integrity and undermine your collaborative capabilities. Employers value team players.

3. Professional Experience

Typically, candidates should include only relevant work experience in this section. This is especially true if your work history is extensive and diverse. Highlight the most recent and pertinent roles you’ve held.
However, there’s an exception to this resume writing tip for career shifters. Career shifters can benefit from incorporating relatively “unrelated” positions in their resumes. Some skills acquired in a different role translate effectively across industries, such as soft skills (e.g., communication). Just be prepared to explain how this “unrelated” role contributes to overall company growth.

4. Education

The education section is typically placed towards the end of a resume, especially for individuals with established work histories. However, if you’re a recent graduate from a reputable institution, positioning your education near the beginning might work in your favor. Conversely, if you have relevant experience in non-traditional roles (such as volunteering or managing corporate events), it’s advisable to place those before your education.
Drafting the education section itself is straightforward. Include your degree(s) and any honors received. If relevant, provide dates and your GPA. Don’t forget to mention ongoing courses or degrees.

You can also list pertinent training sessions and seminars you’ve recently completed.

Additional Resume Writing Tips to Remember

Before finalizing your resume and submitting it, consider these additional points.

1. Incorporating Keywords

Many companies employ an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to scan resumes for keywords. Although employers don’t explicitly disclose the keywords they’re seeking, job descriptions often provide clues. Checking if you’ve integrated keywords from the job listing is pivotal for getting your resume noticed by hiring managers.

2. Saving in Appropriate Formats with Clear Filenames

Saving files solely in the .docx format is not advisable, as it can disrupt formatting. Thus, it’s prudent for job seekers to save a copy of their resume as a PDF, preserving the layout they’ve carefully crafted. However, having a .docx version is useful, as some ATS cannot read PDFs.
Regardless of the format, name the file clearly with your first and last name, along with an indication of its content, like “resume” or “cover letter.”

3. Sending the Resume and Correct Attachments

When submitting your application, ensure you’ve included all necessary files according to the provided instructions.
If sending a physical copy of your resume and supplementary documents, ensure the print quality is crisp and the paper used is not discolored, folded, or worn. A subpar physical resume signals to the employer that you lack attention to detail and professionalism.

4. Crafting an Effective Cover Letter

Cover letters can make or break your application. Including a well-written cover letter sets you apart from the competition. Align the cover letter with the job description, demonstrating your qualifications for the role. It’s a way for job seekers to showcase their interest not only in the position but also in the company itself.
If you’re unsure about writing your own cover letter, you can refer to our article on creating an outstanding cover letter.

Resume Writing Tips: Crafting on Your Own or Seeking Professional Help?

After absorbing our resume writing advice, you should be equipped to construct an impressive resume independently. However, if doubts about your writing prowess persist or you believe someone else could deliver better results, it’s natural to desire an enhanced chance at securing a job interview.
In such instances, considering the assistance of professional resume writers is a valid option. How do you decide whom to approach? Which services are worth your investment? How do you discern authenticity among resume service providers? No need to fret. Best 10 Resume Writers has compiled a roster of the top professional resume writing services for the year 2023!

Once those resumes are dispatched, gearing up to excel in potential interviews becomes imperative. Therefore, it’s essential to have a list of ‘to-dos’ before the interview at your disposal. Peruse our recommendations and tools for interview preparation to shake off interview jitters. Should you wish to consult professional interview coaches, our list of the best interview coaching services awaits your consideration. Armed with these insights, you’ll markedly enhance your prospects of acing the interview and securing that coveted position!