How to Write a Winning Resume in 9 Steps?
- How to Write a Winning Resume in 9 Steps?
- Step by Step Guide in More Detail.
- How to Make Your Resume Scannable?
- Related Useful Resume Resources.
How to Write a Winning Resume in 9 Steps?
The question that many people asked is “How to write a wining resume and get the interview?” This is a good question. Writing a resume is easy but writing a winning and effective resume is not so easy. But don’t worry I will show you how to do it in 9 steps. Let see find out:
1. What is a Winning Resume?
First, you need to know what it a winning resume. The simple answer: it is a resume that can help you to get interview. Getting interview is main goal for writing an effective resume. Let see what inside the winning resume:
- Must be concise, organized and logical.
- Must be neat and error free.
- Must be easy to read, scan and understand.
- Must be having a proper format.
- Can grab employer’s attention.
2. Resume Layout or Outline
After understand what a winning resume is, you need to know what sections (including objective, summary, professional profile, experience, skills, education, training and workshop, awards and honors etc.) you can include in your resume and how to write them effectively.
As a solution: You can read this article: Complete Resume Format, Form and Layout
3. Effective Resume Writing Tips
Next, I would recommend you to read this Top 19 Effective Resume Writing Tips before you start writing a resume. These tips will show you what should and shouldn’t do in resume writing. After reading the tips, you get more useful ideas to write a winning resume.
4. Resume Types or Styles
There is no one right way to put a resume together – there are many different formats that are considered acceptable in the business world. Which one you use depends on your experience and the type of job you want.
A resume is a summary typically limited to one or two pages of size A4 or Letter-size highlighting only those experiences and credentials that the author considers most relevant to the desired position. While there are numerous ways to format your resume, there are two main resume styles: chronological resume and Functional resume.
5. Action Verbs or Action Words
Action words, or power words, are action verbs that add strength and positive implication to your job responsibilities or qualifications. Action verbs have important role in making a winning resume. Let see what I said. When you submit your resume to your potential employer, there are two scenarios that will occur:
- Your application will be run through a computer software program, which searches your resume for key terms as indicated by the employer. If your resume contains those keywords, your resume will be pulled aside for further review.
- A hiring manager, or most often a human resources associate, will receive a stack or resumes and scan through them quickly to pick out those that stand out the most, again based on certain keywords.
You can read 550+ Resume Action Verbs, Action Words, Power Words to find out a complete list of action verbs as well as a useful guide on how to use them.
6. Resume Writing Tips on Various Situations
Many people face one or more in these difficult situations such as having experience gaps, career changing, self-employment, experience from other countries and no related experience. If you fall into one or more of these situations, this Resume Writing Tips on Various Situations is right for you.
7. Resume Format Rules
Now it time learn basic formatting rules for your resume:
- Limit the length of the resume to one or two pages of size A4 or Letter-size.
- The page should have 2 to 2.54 cm or one-inch margins, top and bottom, right and left.
- Use left justification only – as a rule, do not center the content of your resume.
- The font and font size should be consistent – the font size for headlines should not exceed 14 points; the remainder of the text in the resume should not exceed 12 points.
- Your name and any headlines in your resume should be displayed in the same manner. Typically, the headlines will be in all caps and in bold.
- The bullet points should be basic – use circles or squares, but never any symbols that may not translate well when you email your resume to your potential employer.
- Do not underline any of the information in your resume. In the world of Internet driven job applications, underlining in a document implies a web link.
- Use the Tab key instead of the Space bar to create spaces between the texts in your resume.
8. Choose the Way to Write Your Resume
These are top three ways which you can choose to write your winning resume.
- Using Ms Word: you can start writing your resume from blank page with Ms Word. I would not recommend using resume template available in Ms Word older version than 2007, because it is out of date.
- Using Resume Writing Software Programs: it provides you more convenience than writing from the blank page, but it cost your some money for the software.
- Using Free Online Resume Writing Tools: there are many online resume maker tools available for you to use for free of charge.
9. Resume Review
After complete your resume writing, you need to have resume review. Resume review is a very important thing to do before submitting your resume. Remember, a winning resume must be well-written and error-free. You can read this resume review guide to get the practical ideas for resume reviewing.
More Resume Writing Tips
Be Concise
This is critical; do not use lengthy sentences and paragraph forms to disclose your experience and your education. Employers want straight forward statements that highlight your qualifications. A resume is not a place to show your creative writing skills.
Grab Potential Attention
You have only few second to catch your potential employer’s attention. Make sure that your resume is properly formatted, and you are not trying to fit too much copy on a single page of paper. Create appropriate and professional sections for your resume. Your potential employer is more concerned with the look and content of your resume than with its length.
Make Your Resume Scannable
Most job applications are now done electronically, and most employers, no matter the job level, request a resume from the candidates. Have you ever wondered why employers would request resumes from all candidates, when it can be extremely time consuming to review them all? Employers don’t actually review every resume they receive; companies use various software programs to scan the resumes they receive for keywords and content specific to their available positions. Typically, this is the first round of resume review. Your resume has to make it pass the computer-generated scan in order to make it into the hands of the hiring manager.
While your resume may be well-written and well-formatted, it may not be scannable. This may be the reason why you are not receiving calls from potential employers, even if you have great qualifications for the job.
How to Make Your Resume Scannable?
To make your resume scannable, follow these tips:
Font Type and Size to Use
Font type and font size are very important for both your printed and electronic resume. When the resume is scanned, it is important that the font is recognizable by the software. Stick to the basic fonts, such as Ariel and Times New Roman, and to the basic font size, such as 10 or 12 points.
Do not Underline Words or Phrases
Do not underline words or phrases in your resume. In an electronic format, underlining implies that the text links to another document or a web site. Additionally, do not have any lines in the resume that touch the text, as this will prevent the resume from being scannable.
Should Read Left to Right
All the text in your resume should read from left to right in order for your resume to be scannable. No special formatting, such as tables, or columns, should be contained within your electronic resume.
Do not Use Special Characters
Do not use special characters that may not be recognized by scanning software. This includes special formatting of bullets, use of ampersands or percent signs, copyright signs, or any other characters that may not be easily recognizable by scanning software. If you are quantifying information on your resume, make sure to spell out the percentage instead of using “%” as you are indicating increase in sales, for example. Whenever possibly, avoid using signs or special characters in your resume.
Use Action Verbs or Power Words
The most important element of a scannable resume is the selection of active keywords, or power words. Make sure that you use the appropriate keywords in your resume that apply toward the position you are seeking. Having appropriate keywords throughout your resume makes it easier for the software to find matches when scanning the document.
Helpful tip: review the employer’s job requirements for keywords. What are the required qualifications for the job? Make sure that your resume contains the same terminology as that on the job description, without direct copying of the text, of course. When your resume is scanned, the software will pick up these key words and you can be one step closer to landing your dream job.
Related Useful Resume Resources
- Resume Heading Writing Guide – Find out how to write a professional resume heading and do it in the right way. And the commonly used heading formats with examples.
- Resume Objective Statement Examples – Find out a guide on how to write an effective objective statement. And good objective statement examples.
- Resume Summary Statement Example – Find out effective summary statement example. And key questions which can help you to develop a professional summary.
- Effective Resume Work Experience Listing Example & Guide – Find out the example of professional experience section in resume. And
the most effective way to state your responsibilities. - References List Sample & How To Guide – Find out how to list references. And a reference list sample.
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