Your Complete Checklist to Writing a Résumé From Scratch
Your next career move starts here.
Photo: ColorJoy Stock by Christina Jones Photography
Writing a résumé is hard, and it’s often something that’s not taught in school, so consider this your crash course in how to write a résumé that will land you the job.
Now, first things first. Before you start listing your qualifications, it’s important to know what you want to gain from your résumé. What are you going to use it for? Will you be applying to higher education programs, internships, or jobs? If you’re already in the workforce, do you want to stay on the same career path or do you want to transition into something different?
Your résumé will differ greatly depending on your answers to these questions, so it’s crucial to go through this exercise before getting started. Next, you’ll want to gather your information. So let’s get started.
Contact Information
When you’re figuring out what information to include on a résumé, start with the basics. You should always create a header with your contact information. Make sure you include the following:
Phone number
Email address
Location (Just include your city and state; no need to write down your exact address.)
Website if applicable (Note this is NOT your LinkedIn profile. If you’re using LinkedIn correctly, you will be easily searchable, so there’s no need to include the direct link on your résumé.)
Headlining Statement
A headlining statement is a crucial part of a résumé. It takes the place of what once was an “objective” but is much more effective. Think of a headlining statement as a snapshot of your career. It’s a quick two to three sentence maximum statement about who you are, what you do, and what value you bring as a candidate.
Skills Matrix
Putting your skills toward the top of the document immediately increases the effectiveness of your résumé. Recruiters look at a résumé for approximately six seconds. That means you have mere moments to show that you are qualified and demonstrate what you bring to the table. When you put your skills matrix towards the top, this shows the reader exactly what you have to offer and highlights that you are qualified for the position right off the bat.
The faster you can grab someone’s attention and persuade them you’re the right candidate for the position, the more likely you’ll be to get past the initial influx of applicants.
Employment Information
Depending on what stage you’re at in your career, you might not have traditional employment information. If you do have traditional work experience, gather your dates of employment, (month and year) job description, projects you worked on, and any additional information you can include like how many people you managed.
If you are in school or are just starting out in your career, you’ll want to include volunteer work and/or internship information. If you need to add even more relevant industry experience, include information about relevant school projects you worked on. This will help highlight your ability to work on a given project under constraints and will help highlight your relevant industry knowledge.
If you are listing class projects on your résumé, use the school name in place of the company name, and include something along the lines of “[Class Title] Project Manager,” “Student Project Manager,” or “[Class Title] Student” in place of a job title.
Specific Metrics and Achievements for Each Role
The key to a great résumé is highlighting exactly what you’ve achieved and what you can bring to a new role. This is not the place to include a general job description that can be used for anyone with that job title. Include specific information about what you did, how many people you worked with or managed, projects you worked on, and project results to ensure that your résumé immediately reflects your achievements and what you can bring to the table.
Anyone can say that they’re great at their job, but very few people can actually show it. When you’re noting your achievements, think about how you can quantify what you’ve done.
Education Information
Unless it is your highest level of education or you are in your first year of college, do not include information about your high school diploma. Similarly, there is no need to include GPA unless you’re currently in school and have a very high GPA (3.8 or above).
When it comes to listing education, start with the highest level of education at the top and list backward from there. For example:
PhD information
Master’s information
Bachelor’s information
High School information
Unless you are currently in school or are in a profession where your degree is a key factor, (i.e. medicine, law, etc.) your education should be listed at the bottom of your résumé. If you are in school or in one of the professions where your education is very important, your education will go towards the top under your skills list.
Certifications and Specialized Training
Including certifications and specialized training on your résumé make a huge difference in how impactful your document is. Even if you don’t have specific certifications but you’ve had internal training, taken an online course, or even just an online tutorial, include that on your résumé.
About the Author: Michele Lando is a certified professional résumé writer, personal branding expert, and founder of Write Styles. She has a passion for helping others present the best version of themselves both on paper and in person and works to polish individuals' application package and personal style. Aiming to help create a perfect personal branding package, Write Styles provides resources to enhance your résumé, professional appearance, and boost your confidence. Michele strives to help others gain the confidence to put their best foot forward in a personal and professional light.
This story was originally published on January 6, 2020, and has since been updated.
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The 5 Best Free Apps to Help Your Job Hunt Now
Get the career edge on yourself.
photo credit: Sarah Natasha Photography
JOB HUNT.
There are few words that cause such considerable strain, anxiety, and YES! Heartache. Searching for the right job is as time consuming as searching for Mr. or Mrs. Right. But just as the dating world has gone the way of the app, so has the job search. And these 5 apps will help you land the career of your dreams instead of your career of right now.
We have faith in the system.
Good & Co.
Cost: Free
Let’s start at the beginning. Maybe you have NO IDEA what you want to do. The good news is, you can’t be stuck in a career rut, until you find yourself a career. Good & Co. wants to help you get there (to the career, not the rut.)
"Good news: you can’t be stuck in a career rut, until you find yourself a career."
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This app is designed to help you find a cultural company fit. What does that mean? It’s a personality quiz that asks you a series of questions based on measuring eight personality factors, including the academic, clinical, and organizational psychology gold standard ‘Big Five’ – the five basic building blocks of personality, supported by a wealth of empirical research reaching back many decades.
It’s like career day at school, but the counselor has been replaced by an app.
According to the Wall Street Journal, it’s a “personality test that raises the bar” and hopefully your salary when you find your niche and hit your career stride.
Resume Star
Cost: Free
Writing a resume doesn’t have to be difficult, but it is a crucial component of the job-seeking process.
Resume Star is credited as one of the easiest (and free!) resume builders on the app market. It is a precision targeted and professionally typeset resume-- which, two LA-recruiters will tell you is key to scoring the interview. (Find their tips on NAILING that interview here.)
You type in your information and Resume Star produces a clean, correctly formatted PDF that you can email, post, or print. It’s the first step in standing out.
Jobr.
Cost: Free
Swipe right on your career? That’s the idea with Jobr.
Jobr lets you advance your career by easily browsing for jobs and connecting with employers without the hassle of a formal job search. Engage with recruiters at top companies and only spend time on those interested in hiring you! Jobr shows you positions it thinks you’d be interesting and allows you to anonymously “Like” or “Pass.” If a hiring manager is interesting in you, Jobr makes the introduction and allows you to chat within the app. It works the same way for recruiters.
It’s a simple and informal way to get to weed out jobs that don’t make sense and chat through the ones that do.
BumbleBizz
Cost: Free, but Bumble does have plans to monetize their apps in the future
This one is from the genius of Whitney Wolfe. The Founder of Bumble wants to help you network, professionally. With Bizz, every swipe you make is an opportunity to expand your professional landscape and make empowered career moves.
BumbleBizz, like Bumble, will require the female users to initiate conversation. The app will exist within the Bumble framework and users will be able to move back and forth between dating on Bumble, career contacts on Bizz, or making friends on BumbleBFF. (Who needs to go outside!?)
This is one beehive that wants you connecting and making plans for your future-- in more ways than one.
Glassdoor
Cost: Free
Do you know what your earning potential is? Glassdoor job search not only gives you the latest job listing, it also provides applicants with an inside look at company reviews, salaries, benefits, and office photos by those who know the company from the inside out-- the employees.
It’s a comprehensive career community that gives you the edge on yourself.
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Want to Know How Long Your Resume Should Be?
If it's not skimmable, it's worthless.
photo credit: Kristen Meyer Salvage Design
How long should your resume be? The truth is, it depends. The way I always explain it to clients is if you really need the extra page and have useful career information (i.e. important metrics or well respected companies/jobs) to include, use it. However if you can easily condense all important information to one page that is reasonably spaced and reader friendly, go for that.
RULE OF THUMB
My general rule of thumb is that if you have 1/3 of a page or under on the second page, try to make it fit by searching for “fluff” words, extra spacing, etc. If you have more than 1/3 of a page and everything is important content about your career, it’s actually better to have it spread out between 2 pages to make the document more reader friendly. Note that the key phrase here is “reader friendly.” If you can fit everything onto one page, but your resume is dense and hard to read, that won’t benefit you.
If your resume is not skimmable, (Studies show that hiring managers and recruiters look at individual resumes for an average of 6 seconds each) it is basically worthless. That statement may seem harsh, but the reality of the job market suggests this is true.
"If your resume is not skimmable, it is basically worthless." #hardtruth
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Someone who presents an information-dense resume squeezed onto one page with half inch margins is almost sure to get very little attention solely based on the fact that no one wants to sift through it.
THE GOAL OF A RESUME
Many people think that the goal of a resume is to get you a job, but the real goal of a resume is to get you an interview. A resume alone can’t land you a job, but it can intrigue others to want to learn more about you. Think of your resume like a movie trailer. It highlights all of the best parts and persuades people to want to learn more (in an interview).
WHAT YOU NEED TO ASK YOURSELF
When answering the question of “how long should your resume be?” answer these questions:
Are there any jobs on your resume that are no longer worth including? (i.e. positions over 10 years ago, internships 3-5+ years ago, etc.)
Do you have useless verbiage/information on your resume such as references?
If your resume is 2 pages, are those 2 pages used wisely? Is there unnecessary spacing? Are you including plenty of facts and metrics about your achievements?
THE BOTTOM LINE
Make your resume clear, concise, and easy to read to ensure you get noticed. Making it easy for hiring managers or recruiters to immediately view your strengths and skill set is one of the main things that will get you an interview.
It’s hard to give standards regarding who should have a resume over a page and who shouldn’t, but generally, about 5 years in the workforce or less will stay within 1 page, and time over that may potentially overflow. With that said, it is important to remember that this is a generalization without taking industry into account. An engineer who has extensive training and certifications, but is only 4 years out of college may have a 2-page resume, where someone who’s been working for 20 years with only 2 jobs at the same company may be able to fit it into one.
How long should your resume be? There is no one-size-fits-all for a resume, so as long as you stick to a reader friendly, to-the-point style of writing, you’ll be fine.
A native San Franciscan, Michele Lando is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and founder of writestylesonline.com. She has a passion for helping others present the best version of themselves, both on paper and in person, and works to polish individuals' application package and personal style. Aiming to help create a perfect personal branding package, Write Styles presents tips to enhance your resume, style, and boost your confidence.
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Free Download: Make Your Resume Land You The Job Of Your Dreams
Time to spruce up your resume with Above The Glass' tips.
You are finally ready to make the leap for your next career move, but can you remember the last time that you updated your resume? Does it still have that summer job that you took in your junior year of high school?
If so, it's time to dust off the cobwebs and make sure that your content, language, and presentation are all in line to make an impression. We asked our friends at Above the Glass what business owners look for in candidates, and what makes them stand out.
Enter your name and email below to get access to Above The Glass' Resume Checklist, and get started on having your resume land you the job of your dreams!