How to make a resume and make sure that your resume stands out from the crowds.

They say that first impressions count. So make sure that the impression your resume makes is a good one.

If it’s been a year or more since you last wrote your resume, it’s probably time that you looked at it again before sending it out to prospective employers.

Starting your resume

Here are some tips on how to make a resume:

Your resume is the first impression that your prospective employer will have of you. And you know that there’s only one chance to make a good impression!

If you’ve already got a resume, take it out and read it. If it’s a while since you last read it, chances are that you’ll approach it fresh in the same way as a new employer would. Then apply these tips to polish up your job resume.

Start by making notes of all your previous jobs and job responsibilities. If you haven’t had a job yet, put down the jobs you did at school and the jobs you’ve done at the clubs and societies you’ve been a member of.

Mention anything you’ve done in your previous jobs that shows that you’ve accomplished tasks rather than just attended work. Maybe you led a project or gave a talk on a subject.

Add in information about your education. List the exams that you’ve passed, the grades you achieved. Make sure that you also say which schools and colleges you attended and the dates.

Formatting: how to make a resume stand out

Keep the format of your resume clean and tidy. Your aim is to fit everything on a couple pages. Your prospective employer isn’t normally looking for your complete life history. If your resume is getting too long, don’t be afraid to cut out early sections.

Whilst it’s OK to list your first job in McDonalds if you have only recently left school, it likely isn’t too relevant once you’re in your mid 30’s or above. Work backwards in time on the jobs you list.

Make sure your resume has your contact details on it. Name, address and phone number are essential. Your email address helps. If your current email address isn’t serious enough then take out another address at one of the many free services available – ideally not a common address such as Hotmail. If you’ve got your own website, consider using an email address on that. You can normally forward emails to your regular account, so you won’t be involved in lots of checking.

Proof read your resume.

Then read it again. Out loud.

Reading out loud is weird at first but you’ll pick up things that you don’t find by just reading in your head.

Then leave your resume for a day or so before reading it again.

Finally, before sending in your resume check that it covers everything that’s been asked for in the job advert.

Of course, you could always “cheat” and use a resume creator to either create your whole resume or give you a head start (rather than staring at a blank screen).

Tips To Make Your Resume Stand Out

The chances are that your resume will be one of 10’s or even 100’s that your prospective employer will receive. What can you do to make your resume stand out from the crowd?

1. Make your words more powerful

A lot of the words we use aren’t as powerful as they could be. Cut out the fluff and hone your words so that they are as precise and powerful as they can be.

2. Be specific

For instance, if you increased productivity, state how much it improved. Specific numbers are better than non-specific. If your contract says you are not allowed to be specific without giving away industrial secrets maybe you can say “by over 33%” or something similar.

3. Is there enough white space?

A densely packed resume may be getting in all the facts but it is daunting to read. If your resume looks too much like the small print of a sales contract, you’re trying to pack too much in to too little space. Adding some white space will make your resume more attractive to read.A few blank lines go a long way to making your resume more attractive.
4. Use bullet points

If you’ve got a list of things, bullet them. It makes them easier to read.

5. Use numbered points

Notice how this section uses numbered points. If your information doesn’t fit neatly into a bulleted list, consider a numbered list like this one instead.

6. Be easily contactable

Give your prospective employer as many different ways as possible to contact you. Phone, cell phone, email, post, fax. There are services out there that will receive faxes and forward them to your email address, so don’t rule out having a fax number as well.

7. Put a Summary section at the top of your resume

Not every single resume gets read. But a summary section near the start of your resume gives your prospective employer a flavor of what you’re about and if you write it well, you’ll increase the chance of the rest of the resume being read.

To get more help with how to make a resume, just click here.