How to Write a Resume

A resume is the most important document a candidate submits when they are applying for a job. It lays out your experiences, qualifications and gives an overall sense of who you are as a person to a hiring manager. This sounds scary, but by eliminating simple mistakes you can make sure your resume gets through the screening process. In fact, a study done by The Harris Poll found that 77% of mistakes on resumes are simple spelling or grammar errors. Read and follow this guide to ensure you create a successful resume!

1.    Avoid some of the common mistakes

Like grammar and spelling errors, there are a few common mistakes candidates often make in their resume without proper guidance. When writing your resume, remember to use a professional email address. Your email should generally be some combination of your first and last name. Next, make sure your resume is only one page! If you need to make your font smaller, do it, but resumes will get thrown out before even being read if they are two pages. Finally, save your resume as a PDF instead of a word document.

2.    Make sure formatting is uniform

There is no correct way to format a resume, but candidates should only use one format within their resume. This means ensuring your different headings lineup, your experiences are in the right places, and the fonts are similar. Most word processors have a couple different resume templates so if you feel stuck, use one of those!

3.    Quantify your experiences

Remember that the hiring manager reviewing your candidacy only knows your experiences through your resume. The easy way to ensure you are getting your point across, and for the hiring manager to remember you, is by putting numbers in your resume. For example, instead of writing “I started an online ad campaign that helped increase sales”, write “The online ad campaign I created increased sales by 35%”.

4.    Explain your impact

Anyone can write what they did at their job, but to make a resume stand out applicants need to explain why what they did was important. Hiring managers want to see where candidates can add value, so by explaining impact you can make yourself stand out. Rather than writing “Led team project”, write, “Led team project to completion sooner than expected by delegating work and establishing deadlines”. Hiring managers love to see that a candidate can communicate their work effectively.

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