Resume Writing Information & Great Resume Tips

OK, so there's no danger if you ignore these 3 great resume tips, but it is going to be hard to get anyone to pay attention to your resume and grant you an interview if you do. So, please, take my professional resume writing tips to heart!

These 3 factors can really make the difference when you're trying to write an effective resume.

1. Target your resume to each specific employer and job. Your resume is not just a plain Jane, vanilla, generic resume that talks in generalities about who you are and what you want from your career. Instead, it needs to be a specific & unique resume that hones in on what makes you tick as an employee in ways that highlight the skills you have that are especially relevant to the type of job you're seeking.

A professional resume should be specific to the employer and/or job position. Each time you send out your resume, you should think about tweaking it slightly to make it most relevant to the job being applied for. Don't leave any doubt in the recruiter's mind that you are a perfect fit for the job they have available.

2. Be factual and to the point when writing a resume. The best resume writing advice I can give you is to stick to the facts and to be as concise and clear as you possibly can when writing a resume.

Whenever you can, use descriptive words that are both measurable and/or actionable. State your accomplishments, not just your job duties. And don't ever exaggerate or lie! You will be caught, sooner or later.

3. Think of your resume as a sales tool. Most people are put off by the thought of selling themselves, but it's a winning approach to job hunting success. When you practice effective resume writing, you're going to be surprised by how excited prospective employers are about meeting you, and even hiring you.

Your resume should put you in the best light possible and make it obvious what an asset you'll be to the company. It also helps you focus in on your unique strengths and talents, so that during interviews, you have factual data from which to draw.

Like anything else, learning how to make a resume that works for you is a skill. And skills can be learned. So, let's get started!

Step 1: Gather your materials.
To write your resume, you'll need to know your dates of employment at each of your previous jobs and when you went to school. You'll also need to be able to describe your skills and accomplishments on the job, so put some thought into those areas.

Step 2: Decide on a format.

Before you can start writing a resume, you'll need to decide if the functional or chronological resume format will work best for you, or you might decide to go with a combination of the two. Remember, you want to put yourself and your abilities in the best light.

Step 3: Put together a general resume outline.

A resume outline will help you get organized and will prevent you from overlooking any essential pieces of information that should be included on your resume. Think of it as a guideline.

Step 4: Research prospective employers.

Spending time on this research will help you with your resume, with the cover letter that goes with your resume, and with the upcoming job interview. Make sure you know what qualities will most benefit the employer and think about how your abilities match those qualities. Believe me, employers notice when you show you know something about them.

Step 5: Plan, plan, plan.

Before you actually start writing, spend time just thinking about how you'll present yourself in the resume. What is your objective in seeking a job? This objective should serve as a sort of bull's-eye to structure your resume around. What have been your most significant accomplishments? You'll want to highlight them. What unique qualities do you bring to an employer? Think in terms of benefits.

Also think about the resume design you'll use, the fonts within, and the resume wording.

We're not done yet! There are 5 more steps you need to follow if you want to get that job!

Step 6: Start writing, following your outline.

Take your time with your resume; it's important to do it right. Use a lot of action words. Be concise. Don't use "responsibilities included" or "responsible for." It's a waste of space. Use bullets, rather than long paragraphs.

Step 7: Paste your content into your resume template.

Chances are, you're not an experienced, professional resume writer. So, take a resume tip from a pro. Use a resume template or copy a resume online that you like a lot. There is no reason why your resume must look amateurish. Copying one that looks professional is a great timesaver and can ensure success.

Step 8: Review, edit, and proofread until you're sure it's perfect.

One of the biggest resume mistakes I've seen is leaving in typos or grammatical errors. These errors may seem trivial to you, but they can cost you the interview, and ultimately the job. Recruiters will think: if you can't be bothered to make sure that your resume is 100% accurate, what guarantee is there that your job performance will be high caliber?

Is that the impression you want to leave them with?

Step 9: Get someone you trust to review your resume and give you a second opinion.

It can be really helpful to get someone who knows you to look at your resume. Not only are they more likely to catch simple errors, but they may point out strengths you've missed or underemphasized.

Tell them you want their honest opinion and you're open to questions. Use their input to clarify your resume. Even if you decide to write your own resume, you may want to think about getting a professional to do a resume critique. Sometimes you can get a critique for free or pay a small fee (say $25) that can be well worth it.

Get a free resume critique here

Step 10: Send your resume out into the world.

The more resumes you submit, the more likely you are to get an interview. Don't put all your eggs in one basket by applying for only one job at a time. And, don't be afraid to take some risks and apply for a job you're interested in, even if you don't quite match all the qualifications. Most employers ask for many more qualifications than they absolutely require.

When you're writing a resume, it's essential to use professional looking resume fonts. This is not the time to get creative. Your font choices might seem endless, especially if you have a word processing program and desktop publishing or greeting card software on your computer.

That's fine if you're designing a personal document or even a business card. But when it comes to resumes, you should really limit your choices to just a few of the most well-recognized and easy-to-read fonts in your collection.

It's also important not to use more than 2 fonts in a single document. It's OK to use variations in bold, italic, and different sizes, but for best results stick with one font for your headings, and if you must use a second font, then use it on your actual content.

So which fonts make good resume fonts?

Serif fonts make great heading fonts. Serif is just a word that translates to "tails" on the letters. For instance, Times New Roman, which is pictured below, a popular font in most word processing programs, is a serif font. See the tails on the ends of the bar across the top of the "T"?



Sans serif fonts are great to use for the body of your resume, especially if you've used the serif font for headlines and subject headings. They make a nice contrast. Sans serif basically means without the tails. These are fonts like the popular Arial, that are more blocky in appearance. On a printed document, the sans serif fonts make striking headers, while the serif fonts are nicer for the main content. However, online, quite the opposite is true. Sans serif fonts tend to be easier to read on a computer screen, so they are the better choice for the bulk of your content.

Examples of appropriate sans serif resume fonts appear to the left.

So, be sure to choose your resume fonts wisely. Be sure that your resume is easy-to-read and professional in appearance, and you can't go wrong.