Skills, qualifications, experiences, accomplishments – the one page of paper that has to say it all.

The resume.

Most of us need one to get hired at some point or another in our lives, whether you recently graduated from college or are switching career paths.

Before you start applying for jobs, you will need to write your resume. Don’t pull your hair out just yet, here’s how to write one that's strong, and can help you stand out in the crowd.

Know The Purpose

Your resume should be a summary of your experiences and skills, not a whole book. A common mistake is providing more information than necessary. Employers do not need to know what entrees you served as a
waitress at your local restaurant, but they do want to know what you learned from that experience.

Tailor To The Audience

The golden rule! It is essential that every resume you submit to an employer must correspond with the position that you are applying for. If I am applying to be a nurse, psychologist, journalist and a
concierge, I must submit different resumes for each of those jobs because each requires different skill sets. By placing skills that relate to the position, the greater chance you have in getting the job!

Catchy Words

Time is of the essence! Studies have shown that recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds reviewing an individual resume. So it is crucial to make a strong first impression with words that tell them exactly what you did without saying “I did". Use words like coordinated, collaborated, promoted, created, conceptualizes, and more. Your thesaurus will be your new best friend!

Decide The Format

Print resumes are usually formatted in one of three styles: chronological, functional, or a combination. The type of format you use depends on your personal skills, how you want to highlight your experience and the type of work you are seeking. Chronological emphasizes information around dates, functional organizes information around headings that highlight major areas of strength, and a combination includes a little bit of both.

Make It Stand Out

Words, words, words, and no fun! A recruiter reads resumes all day long and wants to see resumes that are colorful and eye-catching. If you are allowed (and only if they suggest) to follow a different format and add some creativity, don’t be afraid to click away from boring Times New Roman. Add some fun fonts and make it interesting. But be careful to not go too crazy that it takes away from the real focus – YOU!

Have more tips about how to build a resume? Let us know on our social media @stepupmagazine!