RESUME WRITING TIPS

Tip #1: Create An Outline

Great resumes start with great planning. Before you begin, on a separate sheet of paper summarize your skills, professional experience, education and awards, and jot down several references. Think about the type of job you're looking for, and then select the information that seems most relevant.

Tip #2: Customize Your Resume

Employers and job descriptions can vary tremendously, requiring an emphasis on different skills and experience. So don't hesitate to customize your resume whenever appropriate. You might want to create several different resumes as needed, and should save each version for later use.

Tip #3: Keep Things Organized

Employers rarely read resumes from start-to-finish. Instead, they scan them quickly for certain information, and are used to seeing facts and details organized a certain way. Resumes do vary greatly in terms of look and feel, but most are more-or-less organized into these distinct sections:

  • Contact Information
  • Summary of Qualifications
  • Professional Experience
  • Education & Affiliations
  • References

Tip #4: Tell The Truth, The Whole Truth, Nothing But ...

Stick to the facts, and don't exaggerate or make anything up. Accurately write down dates of employment, duties, your accomplishments and experience. At the same time, don't add personal information that's not relevant to the job, such as hobbies or interests. Keep things professional by never using "I", "me," or "my", while making your experience read like job descriptions (instead of simply listing your duties). Finally, avoid using any fancy fonts, colored paper, or other attention-getting gimmicks.

Tip #5: Emphasize What You Bring, Not What You Take

As you fill in these categories from your outline, focus on what you bring to the company, instead of what you expect from the job. For example, narrow down your qualifications to those you think your employer would need the most, and include job results that show how they'd actually benefit from hiring you.

Tip #6: "Less Is More!"

Since you're usually up against many other candidates for the same position, you'll want to do some serious editing to keep your resume as straightforward and effective as possible. Imagine having to read dozens of resumes; wouldn't you choose the one that's easiest to read? So as a general rule, you should:

  • Limit your resume to 2-pages maximum
    (1 page is even better)
  • Keep your descriptions short and to-the-point; briefly mention what you've done, but emphasize the positive results your employment would bring
  • Eliminate any extra or unnecessary details; put yourself in a hiring manager's shoes and ask: "Would I want to interview this person?"

Tip #7: Check For Errors

Typos, bad grammar, or factual mistakes all reduce your chances for getting that all-important interview. So make sure you pay close attention to detail, and double- and even triple-check your resume when completed. Another good idea is to have a friend or family member proofread your resume, since they might pick up errors, omissions, and redundancies that you'd otherwise miss.

Tip #8: Get Feedback & Help

The only people who can really determine the strength of your resume are the people meant to read it - so try to get as much feedback as you can from employers and your 1ST TEAM service manager. And remember, you can always visit your local 1ST TEAM branch office to pick up some hands-on advice from our knowledgeable staffing experts.