What Should a Resume Look Like?

Were you aware that around seven of 10 resumes are rejected during the initial screening stage? 

What this means is that you need to roll up your sleeves and put some effort into being among the three of 10 whose resumes lead up to a job interview.

But do you know what a winning resume that gets results should look like?

If you need the answer to that question, continue reading for resume tips.

Include a Summary Near the Beginning

Your resume needs to grab the attention of the recruiter or human resources department professional combing over it. So, use the initial 20 words or so of your resume to make an immediate and positive impression.

The average person's attention span is woefully low. So, yes, you need to ensure that a hiring manager discovers straight away that it's worth reading your resume and advancing you to the next round in the hiring process.

You'll want to begin your resume with a short summary outlining your expertise. Communicate who you are and why you're right for the job. A good summary will compel the person reading it to continue assessing your resume.

Ensure It's Customized for the Position

If you want to submit a good resume, ensure that each one is crafted for a specific job posting. In other words, the last thing you should do is have a boilerplate resume where all you do is change the job title and company.

Hiring managers will know if little, if any, thought was put into creating a resume.

The first thing you need to do when you find a job posting that interests you is to ask yourself the following questions:

1. Which company is hiring?
2. What position do they wish to fill?
3. What are the requirements for the job?
4. Why am I a prime candidate for the position?

Once you answer these questions and find that you have what it takes, you need to communicate your suitability for the role in your resume.

Once you answer these questions and find that you have what it takes, you must communicate your suitability for the role in your resume.

It should be evident to whoever reads it that you specifically write your resume for the advertised position. Otherwise, the chances of your resume making it to the next round in the hiring process are minimal.

Structure Your Resume Properly

When writing a professional resume, it's best to focus on structuring it well. Include headings and supporting evidence that shows why you're qualified.

Following the summary section, consider adding an accomplishments section. This can be especially useful if you're applying for a position in another industry or if you're applying for your first real job.

You don't need an accomplishments section, but it can help tie together the summary and employment history sections.

In the employment history section, you'll want to list jobs relevant to the position you're applying for. So, if you've had four jobs, but only two are remotely related to the job you hope to secure, include those two.

You'll also want to focus on highlighting related experiences. Explain how you delivered value to your previous employer rather than merely saying you previously worked at XYZ Corp. as a customer service representative.

For instance, you might provide specifics on resolving customer complaints.

After doing this, focus on adding an education section. Include details on the institution, the degree program, and your program's start and end date.

Focus on Accomplishments

Some people make the mistake of listing only the responsibilities they had at previous jobs. But hiring managers don't just want to see your daily tasks.

They also want to see what you accomplished. How did you benefit your employer? How did what you do help customers?

If you worked at a lawn care company during the summer and helped to increase customer accounts or productivity, highlight that in your resume. Do the same thing if you broke records as a salesperson at a retail outlet.

Employers looking for candidates like to see specific examples of the value you bring.

Ensure It's Easy to Read

If you want to create a quality resume, ensure you focus on making it easy on the eyes. Consider things like the following:

1. Margins
2. Paragraph lengths
3. Font size
4. Font type
5. Color

The default margins on your word processing software will normally be okay. What you don't want to do, however, is widen the margins so you can stuff your resume with as much information as you can.

Maintain good margins, and stick to a maximum of two pages for a professional resume.

As for paragraph lengths, you should avoid big blocks of text. Hiring managers won't take kindly to vast chunks of text that aren't easy on the eyes.

Font size and font type are subjective. Use a font that's easy to read on paper and on screen. Avoid using stylized fonts that look nice but aren't easy to read.

For the body of your resume, use a font size ranging from 10 points to 12 points. And for headings, select a font size ranging from 16 points to 18 points. 

What about color? Avoid it. Use black fonts if you want a professional resume that hiring managers take seriously. And don't be afraid of utilizing white space since doing so will improve readability.

Focus on the Writing

If you want to create a winning resume that attracts attention for the right reasons, you need to put sufficient effort into putting your thoughts on paper.

Do you feel confident in your ability to produce a resume independently? Perhaps you have a knack for writing and can get the job done.

Fortunately, there are some writing tools available that can help you produce quality content. Grammarly, for instance, is like a virtual editor that can help you improve the quality of your work.

It'll highlight punctuation and grammar issues, suggest making sentences and paragraphs more impactful, and help you tighten up your text.

It will be okay if you get a friend or family member to look over your resume to provide feedback. Ask someone you know will be objective and offer constructive criticism.

Also, getting outside help from a company that offers resume and cover letter writing services is fine.

As long as the information in your resume is accurate, it doesn't matter who prepares your resume. That said, it's a worthwhile goal to invest the time to learn how to do resume writing.

Remain Consistent

You'll want to stay consistent throughout your resume. Otherwise, it could be distracting to whoever is combing over it.

If you're going to use multiple fonts, ask yourself why you want to do so. You're better off sticking to one or two fonts -- one for body text and another for headings. Your resume will flow more seamlessly from start to finish.

A good resume is essential whether you're looking for a job or applying for an internship.

When striving for consistency, you need to keep in mind things like the following:

1. Centering
2. Bold
3. Italics
4. Bullet lists
5. Numbered lists

Include Social Media Profiles

Don't forget to include details about your social media profiles on your resume.

Do you have a LinkedIn account? Are you on Facebook? Do you have other social media accounts that you wish to use for professional purposes?

While your resume has to be short, you can allow hiring managers to learn more about you, your experience, and what you offer. That's easy to do by providing the URLs to social media accounts.

Check Out Online Resume Formats

Do you need some inspiration to find out how to lay out your resume? You can find templates online that you can choose from.

Another way you can get access to formats is by using the right word processing program. Some of them include templates for various types of resumes. It'll make it easy to plug in information to personalize it.

Follow These Resume Tips to Fuel Your Job Search

Are you interested in writing a resume that helps you find the job you want?

If so, take these resume tips to heart. You'll be able to write a resume that gets read by hiring managers at companies you're interested in working at. 

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