Your resume can help you get your foot in the door for a prospective job. Here are four ways to make it a little better.
Whether you’re trying to enter the workplace for the first time or want to get a new position in your field, you’re going to need a sharp resume. Although potential employers will assess you on more than one piece of paper, your resume is a great way to get your foot in the door for an interview.
That said, it’s easy to be overwhelmed when you’re putting a resume together. Here are four easy tips for how to write a resume.
1. Make it legible
It’s usually a good idea to stay on the basic end of things. Try a sans-serif font such as Calibri, or a standard one like Times New Roman. The most important thing is that you select a font that won’t distract the reader from the content on the page.
2. Organise carefully
There are two common ways to organise your resume. The majority of resumes follow a reverse chronological order, so list your most recent job first. This organisation is beneficial because it shows employers you’ve been hired consecutively by organisations. If you’re in a field that requires a resume more similar in structure to a portfolio, you can organise items on your resume by their relevance to the job you’re applying for or by highest to lowest quality. Either way, be sure that your resume tells your professional story in a way that gives you well-deserved recognition.
3. Focus on the key information
The most important things on your resume will probably be your level of education coupled with the relevant experience you’ve had in your field. Make sure both of these pieces of information(especially the relevant work experience) are the primary features of the page. If you’re a recent graduate or have been awarded a high-level degree, your education should be near the top. Do a little research to find out whther the positions you’re applying for require you to list your GPA as well.
4. Don’t waste space
While it is nice to know what you do as a hobby or what type of volunteer work you’ve completed, resumes should be focused on giving potential employers tangible reasons to hire you. Although it was probably a positive experience, listing your two-year stint as a Scout in primary school probably won’t impact your performance in a job today. Do your best to remove any fluff from your resume.