Professional Resumes Receives Highest Rating
Do you want your resume to land you the job?
Do you know what employers are looking for?
Do you know what a professional, well-written resume looks like?
If so, then follow this guide and have a professional resume in no time!
This post will walk you through the process of how to write a professional resume that is guaranteed to get noticed. It contains helpful tips and insights into how writing a resume can make or break your chances at landing an interview.
This post is written by the best resume writer and career coach, Crystal James. She is a qualified professional, with an MBA from the University of London and a passion for helping people find their dream job.
What is a Professional, Well-Written Resume?
A well-written resume will show you are not only a applicant for the job but also that you are capable of excelling at the challenges it entails. Therefore, it should be:
• Personalized – It should reflect who you are and why you want to work for that particular company or organization. The best way to do this is to use your background – highlight your personal achievements.
• Easy to read – The resume should appeal to the reader and grab their attention. It should be written in a way that it is easy to read and that it flows, with each section clearly defined.
• Simple – Each section, such as education or experience, should be clearly defined and presented without unnecessary clutter.
• Long-term - It should highlight your most recent achievements before moving on to your education. It is important to cover information until you graduated from college or university.
• Objective - When writing your objectives you need to consider how you are going to sell yourself as an employee versus just a candidate for the job. Make sure you show what value you can bring and how that will benefit the company.
• No grammatical errors - It is important to proofread your resume. You never know what errors a computer may have picked up. You should have a friend or family member do this as well, to ensure it is as perfect as possible before you send it out.
• One page - The number of pages should also be considered carefully. Some employers will discard your resume if it is more than one page and feel that you are trying to add more information than necessary. As such, having extra pages may actually harm your chances of getting the job – you only need one!
• Contact information – Make sure that your contact details are clear and easy to find on the resume. If you are sending this by email then make sure it is in a word file, not a pdf.
You should always remember the person that is reading your resume will be doing so within 10-15 seconds, so phrasing and using keywords will maximize your chance of being noticed.
How to Write Your Resume
Your resume should be clear and concise with an easy to read layout. For example: use bold text for headings, make use of bullet points where possible and also add a second page if needed:
Robin Williams
123 Main Street · Anytown · 11111 · USA · (555) 555-5555 Email: robin@email.com
Objective: To secure a position in a role that utilizes my skills and education to achieve a professional goal which is valuable to an organization.
Highlights: • 2012 – Present: Supply Chain Analyst at ABC Company, Anytown, USA. • 2011-2012: Junior Inventory Supervisor at XYZ Company, Anytown, USA. • 2007-2011: BA in Business Studies – Graduated with honors from Anytown University.
• Certification in Microsoft Office 2007-2008 – achieved 92% on final exam.
Education: BA Business Studies 2007-2011 – Anytown University GPA 3.998/4.0 – HONORS • 2002-2007: Certificate in Microsoft Office 97 – Anytown University GPA 3.9/4.0 – HONORS
At the end of your resume, there should be a summary of your experience and achievements (a section called "About Me" on a resume is acceptable however you should emphasize that you are one page).
Robin Williams
123 Main Street · Anytown · 11111 · USA · (555) 555-5555 Email: robin@email.com
Objective: To secure a position in a role that utilizes my skills and education to achieve a professional goal which is valuable to an organization.
Highlights: • 2012 – Present: Supply Chain Analyst at ABC Company, Anytown, USA. • 2011-2012: Junior Inventory Supervisor at XYZ Company, Anytown, USA. • 2007-2011: BA in Business Studies – Graduated with honors from Anytown University. • Certification in Microsoft Office 2007-2008 – achieved 92% on final exam.
Education: BA Business Studies 2007-2011 – Anytown University GPA 3.998/4.0 – HONORS
References available on request if needed in the future (must be asked for).
How to Write a Resume Objective
When writing your resume objective, you should start with "To" and state clearly how the position you are applying for fulfills your goals. In this example, we are using "To secure a position in a role that utilizes my skills and education to achieve a professional goal which is valuable to an organization." This is written in the third person – always remember this when writing. Robin does not want a position just any old position; he wants one which will allow him to achieve his professional goals. He has chosen this role that fulfills his needs; it allows him to use his education and experience and therefore he will excel at it.
Going further and breaking it down, how does Robin need a job that fulfills his professional goal? What is his professional goal? He has two goals: 1. To have a higher salary 2. To be working in an area which allows him to utilize his education. This position allows him to do both of these things and therefore Robin is confident that this position meets his professional goals.
The reader of your resume should now be able to clearly state what your goals are and why you are applying for that particular role.
You should also be able to clearly state what you want from the employer/company/organization.
A good rule to follow is: "you can only succeed if you know what you want…and what the company you are applying for wants."
How to Write a Resume Summary
The summary of your resume is used to develop a persona for yourself, as well as emphasizing why you are suited to the role. The summary should give a brief overview of your skills, aptitudes and experience.
The summary should be: • Concise - Keep it short! One or two small paragraphs at most. It should not exceed half of the body of your resume.
• Specific - Keep it professional.
Conclusion
The objective of a resume is to allow a prospective employer/company to quickly assess your skills and abilities. The objective for resumes is to highlight your strengths, as well as making it easy for the reader to understand what you are looking for.
The summary of your resume can be used to develop a persona for yourself and also show what you are looking for in the role. The summary should give an overview of your skills, aptitudes and experience.