A resume is a document designed to present your skills, experience, and education in a concise and visually appealing way. It serves as a crucial tool in the job search process, providing employers with a snapshot of your qualifications. Have you ever wondered how to make a resume? Read on to find out more information about creating the best resume for a job application.
Understanding the Basics of a Resume
If you want to learn how to make a resume, you will have to understand its basics. What are the different types of resumes? What should you include in it, and how should you format your resume? Find out all the answers below.
Types of resumes
1. Chronological: A chronological resume starts with a summary of your skills and a list of your past jobs, starting with your current one. This job resume format is widely used and helps hire managers easily see if your past experiences are relevant to the job opening. By quickly reviewing your resume, they can assess whether you have the required qualifications.
2. Functional: Functional resumes focus on showcasing your abilities instead of your work history. Suppose you have an education or training in human resources (HR). In that case, a functional resume would start by listing relevant HR skills, such as recruiting and communication, to highlight your expertise in the field.
3. Combination: A combination resume includes features of a functional and chronological resume. So, it will include your job history in reverse chronological order. Additionally, it will highlight your functional and related skills.Â
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Key sections of a resume
The key sections included in a job application resume are as follows:
1. Contact information: Highlight your full name and address. Additionally, it should include your telephone number and e-mail address.
2. Summary or objective statement: Provide a summary of your job search. Make the objective statement tailored to the job application.
3. Work experience: Mention your work history if you have any. Even if you don’t have full-time experience, you can talk about internships.
4. Education: Highlight your academic qualifications in your resume.
5. Skills: Mention all the skills relevant to the job role in your resume.
6. Additional sections: Some optional sections in your resume can be related to your achievements and interests.
Gathering Information and Preparation
If you are wondering how to make a resume, you will have to start by collecting specific information. Look how you can begin preparing to draft your resume.
1. Identifying your target job and industry
Your resume should be tailored to the job and industry you are applying to. So, find out about the job and typical resume formats used in the industry.
2. Reviewing job descriptions and requirements
Read the job description and requirements carefully. It will help you highlight relevant details in your job application resume format.
3. Listing your work experience, education, and skills
Your resume should give a description of your academic background and work experience. Moreover, you need to add your technical and soft skills.
4. Selecting the appropriate resume format
You will come across different types of resume formats. But you will have to figure out which one would be the best for you. Apart from considering the job and the industry, you should look at your level of expertise to choose the right format.
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Crafting Your Resume Sections
A huge part of learning how to make a resume is understanding the information to include in every section. Check it out below:
1. Contact Information
This part will include your name, address, phone number, and email. Remember to enter your full name here. The font size should match the body text of the remaining resume. But you can keep the name a point or two bigger.
2. Summary or Objective Statement
A professional experience resume includes a summary or objective statement after the contact details. For individuals with limited experience, such as recent graduates, an objective statement is a concise summary of their career aspirations. It serves as a quick introduction to their professional goals.
In contrast, a resume summary is a brief statement that showcases the applicant’s relevant skills and experience in a dynamic way. It uses action-oriented language to highlight key accomplishments and qualifications.
3. Work Experience
To showcase your relevant experience, organize your professional history in reverse chronological order. Begin with your most recent role. For each position, include the company name, employment dates, job title, and brief description of key achievements. Utilize specific numerical data to demonstrate your impact at every position.
4. Education
If you have minimal work experience or are pursuing a career change, an education section in your personal resume can be highly beneficial. Consider talking about the coursework and your GPA or rank.
5. Skills
Think about the specific abilities and experiences you have that match the requirements of this job. Then, read the job description carefully and mark the key skills and achievements that you’ve successfully demonstrated in your previous work. You should include your soft skills as well as technical skills in the resume.
6. Additional Sections
When your resume has empty spaces, you can enhance it by including a section highlighting your accomplishments or interests. You can also add the languages you know and mention your volunteering experiences. This is particularly useful for resumes that are shorter or when you have limited work or education history to present.
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Formatting and Design Tips
Anyone trying to figure out how to make a resume should know the right formatting and design tips.
1. Choosing a clear and professional font
Your resume should have a professional-looking font. Try using Times New Roman or Arial to make the text seem legible.
2. Using consistent formatting throughout
One important resume writing tip is following a consistent format. The font style should be uniform throughout the resume. Keep your margins within 1 to 1.5 inches.
3. Keeping your resume concise (1-2 pages)
Your recruiters don’t have all the time in the world to go through your resume. So, keep it short, with a maximum length of two pages.
4. Using bullet points for readability
Adding bullet points to your resume can break the monotony of text-heavy paragraphs. It is great for enhancing readability and making recruiters easily find the information they want. You can add bullet points to the education and professional history paragraph.
5. Saving your resume in the appropriate file format (e.g., PDF)
While learning how to make a resume, one important step is saving it. Once you are done proofreading the entire document, you should download it in a suitable file format. Employers commonly accept resumes in the PDF format.
Resume Templates and Samples
If you want a better understanding of how to make a resume, check out the templates and samples below:
Entry-level resume template
| Name Phone no. Education [Course], [Institute], [Timeline] [Course], [Institute], [Timeline] Skills [A combination of technical and soft skills in bullet points] Key Achievements [A description of awards and achievements] Reference |
Mid-career resume template
| Name Phone no. Experience [Role], [Company], [Timeline] Education [Course], [Institute], [Timeline] [Course], [Institute], [Timeline] Skills [A combination of technical and soft skills in bullet points] Key Achievements [A description of awards and achievements] Reference |
Executive-level resume template
| Name Phone no. Experience [Role], [Company], [Timeline] [Role], [Company], [Timeline] Education [Course], [Institute], [Timeline] [Course], [Institute], [Timeline] Skills [A combination of technical and soft skills in bullet points] Reference |
Industry-specific resume samples
1. IT Professional Resume
| Kartik Anand +91 98745 6788 kartikanand@gmail.com Objective I am a detail-oriented software engineering graduate with exceptional analytical prowess and the ability to learn about new technologies quickly. I am also extremely proficient in different programming languages. Looking forward to pursuing a software development opportunity at a leading organization and contributing to overall success. Experience Software Developer Intern Smart Tech Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore June 2023 to November 2023 IT Assistant Sunrise Tech Solutions, Bangalore February 2023 to April 2023 Education B.Tech in Software Engineering Rewa University, Bangalore Skills Python, C++, Java Debugging Analytical skills Critical thinking skills Problem-solving skills Language Proficiency English- Reading, writing, speaking Hindi- Reading, writing, speaking Tamil- Reading, writing, speaking Hobbies Developing applications Competing in hackathons |
2. Marketing Professional Resume
| Simran Desai simran.1234.desai@gmail.com +91 74560 33551 Objective I am a hard-working professional with an MBA in marketing. Looking forward to working for an organization and facilitating growth through planned marketing strategies. Experience Digital Marketing Intern ABC Technologies Pvt. Ltd. January 2024 to March 2024 Education MBA in Marketing Jain University B.Sc in Media Studies Amity University Skills SEO proficiency Familiarity with Google Analytics Leadership skills Communication skills Critical thinking skills Language Proficiency English- Reading, writing, speaking Hindi- Reading, writing, speaking |
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Proofreading and Editing Your Resume
When you are learning how to make a resume, you shouldn’t ignore the importance of proofreading and editing. Here are some tips:
1. Checking for spelling and grammar errors
Even the best people can make spelling and grammatical errors. So, carefully read your resume and look for issues. Remember that even minor issues can have a negative impression on the employer.
2. Ensuring consistency in formatting
The entire resume should have a consistent format. Check whether the entire document has a uniform font style. Moreover, look at the line spacing to maintain consistency.
3. Getting feedback from others
After creating your resume, make someone read it. A third-party perspective will help you find mistakes and areas of improvement in your resume.
4. Tailoring your resume for each job application
One of the best tips for making a resume is customizing it as per requirements. Before applying for a job, check out the specific skills they are looking for in a candidate. Highlight the skills that would be relevant for that particular job role.
Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid
If you want to learn how to write the best resume, you should know the mistakes to avoid. Remember to steer clear of the following while drafting your resume:
1. Using a generic, one-size-fits-all resume
Don’t think that you can submit the same resume everywhere. Remember to customize it according to where you are submitting it. For instance, you will have to highlight your IT skills if you are submitting your resume with an internship application in the IT domain.
2. Including irrelevant or outdated information
Don’t forget to update your resume from time to time. Maybe your resume includes your achievement of winning a debate competition in school. This achievement might have looked good on your college applications. But while applying for a job, you need to talk about more recent and relevant achievements.
3. Using passive language or vague descriptions
Knowing how to write a resume means understanding that there’s no room for vague descriptions with passive language. For instance, you have probably mentioned that you brought change to an organization while working there. But what kind of change did you bring along/ Mention something more specific, like the fact you have improved the workflow by enhancing the efficiency of the filing system.
4 Neglecting to proofread and edit
It’s not uncommon for your resume to feature a typo or punctuation error here and there. After completing the entire resume, make it a habit to read it and make the necessary changes. Moreover, you should proofread every time you update your CV by adding new information.
Conclusion
Creating the best resume will help you capture the attention of recruiters instantly. But you need to follow some of the best tips and practices to create a detailed and effective resume. So, learn how to make a resume and notice exciting professional opportunities coming your way.
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FAQs:
Q1: What is the ideal length of a resume?
Ans: Usually, your resume should be one page long. But if you are an experienced professional and have an extensive work history, your resume can be two pages long.
Q2: What should be the font size of my resume?
Ans: The standard font size of the body text in your resume should be 11 or 12 points. You can make the headers and sub-headers larger. But usually, no font on a resume is bigger than 14 points.
Q3: Is a resume bigger than a CV?
Ans: A CV usually contains more information than a resume. Therefore, the length of a resume is shorter than a CV.
