Writing a resume from scratch can be a daunting task, especially if you haven’t had to write one in a very long time. It’s surprising how such a simple document about yourself can be so difficult to put into words. If you remember these tips, writing a resume can be easy no matter how long it’s been since the last time you’ve written one. You should always remember to periodically update your resume to be prepared, should unfortunate events occur, such as losing your job, or to prepare for whenever you may decide upon a career change.
Tips
1) Keep it 1-2 pages. If you can squeeze everything into one page, that would be great, but for someone with a lot of experience, it wouldn’t be too out of the ordinary to have a two-page resume. Try to condense your resume as much as possible to keep it simple and easy to interpret. 2) Use qualitative and quantitative statements to show achievements and experience. You should know what your contributions are within the position you hold and be able to present that type of information on your resume. Of course, be careful not to reveal anything confidential regarding the company with which you are employed or formerly were employed. But being able to illustrate actual numbers and figures such as dollar amounts and percentages is the best way to describe what you have to bring to the table as a new employee. 3) Document strengths and skills. You should know what your soft skills are as well as your hard skills. Your hard skills basically include any and all the education and the training that you have received. Your soft skills are your personal attributes that can present themselves as strengths on the job, depending on the position. This can include your having an outgoing personality, being entrepreneurial-minded, having a very strong work ethic, being able to cope with stress well, and etc. Being able to convey your strengths can really help an employer know more about you as an addition to their workplace environment. 4) Proofread. Of course, you must make sure that you spell check and check your grammar and punctuation as always, but you should also make sure that your design to your resume is very aesthetically appealing. It is best to go with a simpler symmetrical design over a fancier looking design. A simpler design can be seen as much more professional looking. Also, you should be aware of how you word your resume. A rule of thumb in business writing is to never use pronoun statements such as “I, me, or myself.” Try to use great descriptive key words that will highlight your strengths and experience.