Resume Building

Each recruiter or hiring manager will have different expectations for resumes, which can make the creation of one tricky. Will they like the layout of your resume? Will your resume get picked out of the stack submitted?

In my professional opinion, I would say the simple way is the best way. What I mean by this is do not go too extravagant with the look of the document. Pictures and decorations are not necessary, unless specified. Be thorough with your experience and skills, not formatting.

There are 6 major sections of a resume:

1. Name and Contact Information
2. Professional Summary
3. Skills
4. Work History
5. Education
6. References

The first portion of your resume is your name and contact information. It should include your first and last name, phone number, email address and LinkedIn (I would suggest creating a LinkedIn account if you do not already have one). You would also typically put your mailing address here as well, but I don’t believe it is necessary (unless specified).

Next, we move into the professional summary. This is where you will highlight your work experience in a few sentences. What is your background in? How many years experience do you have in that field? Do you specialize in a specific area? Are you seeking part-time or full-time employment? In what field? If you haven’t gained much work experience due to school, you can use internship experience. I would suggest wording your professional summary in a way that reflect the position you are applying for (while still being honest). This may require you to update your resume for different jobs.

Following your professional summary, list your skills. This only includes professional skills. If you haven’t gained many skills yet, you can list some general skills. Do you show up on time? If so, you are punctual. Do you know how to use Microsoft Office? If so, list it as a skill. Do you pick up on things quickly? If so, you’re a quick learner. Do you communicate well with others? If so, you have communication skills. These basic skills are important to employers. Once again, I would suggest highlighting skills that are relevant to the position you are applying for.

The most important portion of your resume is your work history. Work history can include internships, self-employment, experience through employment programs and regular employment. You will break each job down into groups, listing your most recent employment first. The groups will include the duration of employment, job title, organization/company name and a detailed list of the duties you performed. I would suggest highlighting specific duties that reflect the role for which you are applying.

Next, highlight your education. You worked hard for your diploma and/or degree, so be sure to highlight it. Only list the education you have completed or are in the process of completing. I do not find it necessary to list a graduation year, unless you are currently in school—in which case you will list the year you expect to graduate.

Lastly, you will list your professional references. This can be a former boss or supervisor and a good number to reach them. I highly discourage listing those from places you were fired or left on bad terms.

Although this is not apart of your resume, I would recommend having a cover letter on hand. This is essentially a letter to the employer that expresses your interest in the position. I would briefly highlight you work experience in the letter.

If you found these tips helpful, please feel free to share your experience!