Resume Outlines : How To Prepare Your Resume For A Job Interview

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 13 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #5,973 in How-To, #62,417 overall

What is a Resume?

A resume is a snapshot of you, your education, and your job experience for an employer to look at and consider you as a possible employee.

Your resume should be put together in an easy to read format and contain as much information about you without becoming too many pages long. Here are a few hints on how to craft your resume.

Always have your name at the top of the resume centered in large, bold print with your contact information just below in smaller, regular size print. Include your home address, home telephone, cellular number, and e-mail address. If you are able to receive calls at your present job, you may also want to include your business phone number on your resume.

Since your resume is what the employers see first, you will want it to be well-organized and professional looking. Print it on a thick paper rather than just regular copy paper.

It is a good idea, too, to print it on colored paper as that alone may make your resume stand out over others in the pile since it is in color. When we say color, we mean a muted gray, perhaps a cream color or a light pastel. No hot pink or neon green for a resume - that is just garish!

Start each section of your resume with what will make the most difference in getting the job. Is your education what might put you over the top to get the job? Perhaps it is your previous job experience.

The goal of your resume is to get you into that interviewer's office, so put your best foot forward and let your abilities speak with the most important part first.

Another thing that should be included on your resume is your participation in any social or community clubs or activities as well as any awards you have received over the years. If you served as a leader of a club or organization, include that on your resume as well.

Ideally, a resume should be a one page document, but often, that is not possible for people who have extensive job experience or education. Never have a resume that is over two pages, however. This is just a stepping stone to get you into personnel. You can tell the rest during a job interview.

Use a pleasing, easy to read font, but don't get too creative. You will want your future employer to look at you as a reliable, serious professional and your resume should reflect that.

Above all, make sure there are no typographical errors or misspellings on the resume. Nothing screams unreliability than typos.

How to make a resume 

If you are just out of school or want to switch to a different job, but never have had to have a resume, you might be wondering just how to make a resume that will help you stand out and get that new job.

Don't worry. It is not difficult to make a resume that will impress potential employers and quite possibly get you the job of your dreams!

We can give you some great tips on how to make a resume that will get attention!

To begin with, you will want to put your resume on a thicker paper. Go to your local discount store, and they will have many to choose from. These papers are thicker than regular copy paper and usually have a bit of texture to them.

You can buy this type of paper in colors, and we highly recommend this. When you learn how to make a resume, you want not only your words and experience to stand out, but your resume itself as well.

If you put your resume on colored paper, a potential employer is likely to notice it over the other ones on plain white stock!

Use a font that is easy to read but unique. If you are learning how to make a resume in Microsoft Word, you will have a variety of fonts to choose from. Do not just stick with the default font (Times New Roman).

You want to stand out, so pick another font, but make sure it is easy to read and not too "campy". That means you probably won't want to use the teeny tiny "Gigi" font, but you also won't want to use the "Halloween" font either!

When learning how to make a resume, you should include information about yourself like your job experience, your education, your skills, any special acknowledgements or achievements, and anything that makes you especially unique and suited to the job you are applying for.

Your resume is a one or two page story of your abilities and experience that will speak for you on a potential employer's desk. You want him or her to call YOU, so it should stand out and look unique while still being professional.

If you want to know how to make a resume that is professional yet makes you look wonderful, there are a lot of great tools on the Internet that can help you along the way.

Microsoft Word even includes some resume templates that you can just fill in with your personal information and be on your way. We can't personally show you how to make a resume, but you sure can do it if you use the resources at your fingertips and be well on your way to a new and wonderful career!

Write a Resume that Gets you the Job!

Discover The Hidden Rules & Secrets Of Crafting A Professional Resume 

You can get your career planning toolbox here:

If You're Stuck In Rut . . . Looking For A New Job . . . Or Need To Earn More Money, Then This Web Site Is The Most Important One You'll Visit All Year

When you wake up each morning do you dread the idea of spending another day in a mind numbingly boring job, slowly stagnating for not enough pay?

Are you unemployed and nothing you seem to do is working to find the job you need?

Maybe you love your job but can't afford the lifestyle you want on the money you earn?

Whatever reason that brings you to this web site let's get one thing straight. . . . You deserve better

Simply taking the time to find this page is proof of that. But you're far from alone in your plight, hundreds of thousands of people feel just like you do. It's one of the mazes of modern life . . .

. . . However you have just discovered the way out. . . .

Job-Resume-Interview-Career-Books

Resume Writing Secrets

ebook

It doesn't matter if this is the first time you are
trying to write a professional resume for finding
your dream job, this guide will help you to
get on a right track of resume writing.

~ What is a Resume.
~ Parts of the Resume.
~ Things to Keep in Mind.
~ The Reference Sheet.
~ Cover Letters.
~ Finding and Getting That New Job.
~ Making Sure You Are Ready.
~ Resume Samples.
~ Reference Sheet Samples.
~ Learn how to explore the types of jobs that are available.
~ Learn the fastest growing jobs in America.
~ The essential Cover Letter Samples!
~ The Interview Basics.
Plus much MUCH More!

Job-Resume-Interview-Career-Books

Resume outlines 

Having resume outlines to follow can make it much easier to craft a resume that is professional and eye catching which will get the attention of the person who is doing the hiring at the company you want to work for.

Having a good resume is very important since it is the only thing a potential employer has to refer to that represents you, your abilities, and your skills.

When you are applying for a job, the person doing the hiring wants to pick the person who is best able to do the job.

Your resume gives information about your job experience, your skills, and your education, so you want to tell that employer with your resume that you are the right one for the job and compel him or her to pick up the phone and call you for an interview.

Resume outlines are used as guidelines to follow when you are typing your resume. There is no one right way to make a resume.

They come in different formats and people just use ones that best reflect themselves. However, many components of a resume do remain the same. The sections such as job experience, education, skills, and such should always be put on any resume.

However, the way you put a resume together can vary according to personal preference.

Look online for web sites that have resume outlines for you to follow. Many are free and will allow you to use their information as a service to you.

Believe it or not, there are some companies who are dedicated to helping others in their job search which means that they are willing to offer up all kinds of information to help you in your job search including having resume outlines that you can use when putting together your resume.

The resume is a very important part of a job search. Whether you are looking for your first job or you are wanting to switch jobs and even careers, having a professional resume that best expresses you, your abilities, and your experience can make the difference between getting an interview and being passed over.

Find some resume outlines that will work for you and then make a resume that will help get you the job.

Here is a Sample resume

There are many ways that you can put together a resume, and having a sample resume to look at can really help you as you are putting together your own resume.

We have limited space in this article, so we can't give you a complete sample resume to look at, but we can show you a few sections and how best to put them together. For example, here is what the job experience section should look like:

JOB EXPERIENCE

August, 2005 - Present XYZ Corporation; Green Bay, Wisconsin

Job Position: Sales Representative

Job Duties: Responsible for procuring new accounts, servicing existing accounts and insuring quality control for all products sold

Received 2006 Sales Person of the Year Award

Of course, you can jazz things up in this sample resume section by using bold and changing the font to look like you want it to. However, this is a good guideline to follow for the job experience section.

As a note, you should never go back more than the last three jobs you previously held for space constraints. Your resume should ideally be one page long, but sometimes it needs to extend to two pages.

You do not want to overload sections with unnecessary information. Here is an idea of how the Awards and Achievements section might look on a sample resume:

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

1997 - Received Outstanding Customer Service award given to the person who had the most positive feedback when taking customer service calls in the call center.

1998 - Received Young Careerist award from Business and Professional Women club based on my speech "How and why Young Women Can Succeed in the Business World"

2001 - Awarded Employee of the Year for formulating and implementing a new computer program that improved customer service by 67 percent in one calendar year.

When you look at a sample resume, use it as a guideline for your own information.

Be positive and highlight all of your achievements and job duties. You can find all sorts of sample resumes to look at on the Internet at many web sites dedicated to the advancement of professionals in the business world.

Use a sample resume to best represent your skills, abilities, and experience that will help you get the job you are looking for.

Your resume is the first thing a potential employer will see, and you will want it to look as good as possible and represent you as a potential employee.

Having a sample resume to refer to - especially one that is proven to be effective - can be an invaluable tool in your job search and get you the interview that can ultimately lead to the job!

ebook

Get the Edge to get ahead!

Discover the Key Steps That Will Help You Plan Your Career Effortlessly

The Career Planning Guide Toolbox
Learn everything there is to know about career planning so you get it right the first time!

Resume services 

If you have no clue where to begin when it comes to making up a resume for a job, you can find a variety of resume services that will help you along the way.

Most of these resume services do charge a fee for their time, so be aware that you will be paying for these services.

However, if you are clueless as to where to start with a resume or a cover letter, resume services can be Godsends for people who are serious about finding a job and want to put their best foot forward with a professional resume.

While you may be like me and think that putting together a resume is an easy thing, when you look at samples of other resumes, you may second guess your thoughts. That is why having resume services available at your disposal can make the difference between getting a job and not getting a job.

A reputable resume services firm will take the time to listen to you and gather together your personal information. Then they will ask you what you expect your resume to look like.

If you want to have a totally professional resume, the company providing your resume services should be able to take care of that. If you want to project a fun and open image, the company providing your resume services should be able to do that too.

You will need to work closely with the people who are taking over your resume services. They should be open and honest about your choices and make some suggestions that might make your resume look just a little bit better than what you can do on your own.

However, because you are paying for resume services, you should make sure that you get what you want, so do not be afraid to speak up and make changes so that your resume turns out the way you want it.

We should note here that if the company you hire for your resume services is not giving you what you want, you should look elsewhere. After all, the ultimate goal of hiring resume services is to have them produce a quality resume at a reasonable price and giving you a product that will help you get the job of your dreams.



Job-Resume-Interview-Career-Books



How to write an objective for resume 

When you are crafting your resume, you need to know how to write an objective for the resume.

An objective is basically what you are hoping to achieve in the job or career field that you want to get into.

It says why you got into this field, why you are so passionate about it, and what you can do for the company or the career area.

Some people feel like there is no need to include an objective on your resume. However, it can be helpful in showing your passion for your career field and can let a potential employer know why you are passionate about the job in the first place.

Either way, knowing how to write an objective for your resume is a very important part of the job seeking process.

The first part you should know about in learning how to write an objective for a resume is that you must use words that are always positive but not too flowery. Speak from your heart and avoid using any euphemisms of any kind and be sure that your objective sounds very professional.

It should state why you got into the field in the first place and why you want to continue in the same field.

On the other hand, if you are switching careers, your objective statement should say why you wanted to get into another field and what makes you so excited to do so.

You should state what you are hoping to accomplish in this new career and why you know you can accomplish it!

When writing your objective statement, you should be brief. This is a sentence or two about why you want a job in this career field. It should show a potential employer why he or she should hire you even if you do not have a lot of experience in the field you are applying for.

Knowing how to write an objective for a resume is an important part of "putting your best foot forward" so that the person who is reading your resume wants to read the rest of it. It is kind of like when you begin a new novel.

The first line is so important - it has to hook the reader and make them want to read on. The same applies to your objective statement on your resume. You should make your potential employer want to read more about you based on your objective statement.

What do you need to include in a resume statement? Like we said, it has to be brief, so write what is close to your heart when it comes to expressing your career goals. Here are a couple of examples:

For a teaching job:

I look for a position within a school system that will allow me to express my passion for teaching to my students and make them lifelong learners.

For a sales job:

I want to fully utilize my persuasive personality to bring new business into a company and make them as successful as I know I can be.

For a secretarial job:

I want to bring my knowledge of office systems and procedures into a company that can fully appreciate my talents and move up within the company as I become more proficient at the skills that are required of me.

Knowing how to write a resume statement can really make a difference in whether or not you get called back for an interview The ones given above are meant to be just guidelines.

You must tailor your resume statement to fit what you really and truly want to achieve in the position you are applying for and you want to make it sound passionate without being too "sappy".

When learning how to write a resume statement, just remember to speak from the heart and remember exactly why you want this job. Then put it into words.

Use words that will truly express all you feel about this job and then let your potential employer feel it too. After that, just wait for that interview call!

Listen to our Audio Article here about: 

When to Start Career Planning 0 points

How to Start Finding your Dream Job 0 points

Career Growth and Expansion 0 points

How To Prepare Your Resume For A Job Interview 

Everyone who is looking to develop their career, or perhaps get a new career started, needs to know how to make a successful resume in order to do so effectively.

The fact is is that there is no magic bullet resume that will guarantee you a good job or career.

However, there are some simple steps that a person can take when building their resume that will ensure they stand out from the other applicants in a relevant and effective manner.

The basic rules of resume building should always apply. Remember to keep your resume short and concise. The fact is that employers will be reading dozens or maybe hundreds of resumes on any given day of the week.

They do not have time to read everything put in front of them and may only skim yours briefly. Make sure that they get only the information that is going to get you hired (basically, the necessary information).

Also keep in mind that a poorly organized resume is going to get tossed aside without even being read or without a second thought from the employer in question.

The employer must be able to find everything they need to know almost instantly. This means that a clean resume is crucial.

While it may be tempting to include dozens of awards you have received or to include every job you have ever had, the truth is that only pertinent information should make it into the resume.

While a job as a dog walker when you were 15 years old may be important to you, a potential employer at a law firm is not likely to care about this specific job reference.

When deciding what information to include, it is very important to make sure everything on the page is related to the job you are trying to get.

A proper resume should also be directly customized for the job you are seeking. 

Do not submit generic resumes to different companies.

By customizing a resume, you are showing the employer that you are genuinely interested in the job you are applying for. Hopefully, for your sake, this is absolutely true.

So you can make a nice, clean resume with all the information that you need, but what makes your resume stand out from all the others?

There are some good ways to stand out, such as wild fonts or colored paper, but in reality these are not effective ways to stand out.

They will make you look unprofessional and may cause the employer to simply toss your resume in the trash bin. However, there are a few subtle ways to stand out.

For a creative job resume, such as a graphic designer, you could consider printing your resumes on sheets that are slightly larger than average. This means that no matter how the employer shuffles them, yours always sticks out.

Be creative, but also be professional and you can get noticed by the employer much more easily.

If you design your resume with career development in mind, you will build a much more successful one in the end.

You must step away from the attitude of desperately wanting to make more money or work better hours. Build a positive and information-rich resume and you will be developing a new career in no time.

There are a myriad of ways to go about resume creation, but in the end building your resume will ultimately be up to you. Be smart, follow your heart, and you'll never go wrong.




Rate Me, Please!

Your Ratings Help Us Immensely

Do you think we earned a 5 Star rating from you for the work we have done on this Squidoo lens about Career Planning & Job Search?

Your ratings help us improve this lens, and get the word out to more people around the world about preparing Resumes, Interview Skills & Office Politics. Please 1-5 Star rate us at the top of the page, and sign our guestbook!

Thank you!



It's easy to take the first step to your better life right now.
Subscribe to "Power Tips!" our free self help monthly magazine for inspiring articles and resources delivered direct to you.

Subscribe-Here

Want to know more about Resumes & Getting the job of your dreams? 

Check out our other squidoo pages on the subject:

Do You Know the Path to Success? 

Career Planning 101 Has the Information You Need to Get Your Career Headed in the Right Direction

The Career Planning Guide Toolbox
Discover the Key Steps That Will Help You Plan Your Career Effortlessly


Learn everything there is to know about career planning from the bottom up, so you get it right the first time. Do you find the prospect of planning your career daunting and unmanageable? If you are one of the millions of actively seeking job hunters in the market today, you have to gain a competitive edge to get ahead.



What are you waiting for? The choice is easy.


Find out everything you need to know about career planning and actually getting the job right here, right now in over 750 pages of valuable and powerful training materials.


I priced the set of books at this insanely low price because I know a lot of my customers may be people who are unemployed and cash-strapped, so I want this valuable information to be affordable for EVERYONE who needs it right now!
** Over $500 value!


Get this Career Toolkit NOW - FOR ONLY $37 - UNBELIEVABLE value! You'll be glad you did.

Check out the Career Planning Guide Toolbox!

Job-Resume-Interview-Career-Books



New RSS: Get more Resume Outline ideas here: 

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

Reader Feedback 

Do you have any Career Planning or Resume Writing Tips you can share with us?

Custom-Squidoo-Lenses

submit

Was this page useful to you? 

Custom-Squidoo-LensesMade-by-Strategic-Services!

Loading poll. Please Wait...

New RSS: Daily Motivational Self Improvement Tips for everyday of the Year! 

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

by Career-Guide

We have created this lens about resume outlines to use in your career planning, for your education and entertainment - ENJOY!


Custom-Squidoo-Lenses


strategic-custom-built-squidoo-lenses (more)

Explore related pages

Create a Lens!