The 7 Best Ways to Build a Resume

How to build a resume

I am always surprised how many professionals I meet that have never had to build a resume to land a job. These people have been very fortunate and have secured employment through networking and word of mouth. Regardless of how many connections that were made, there will come a time when these individuals will need to craft their own resume in order to compete with other candidates.

For those job seekers who are in this situation, here are 7 important tips for building your own resume.

Tip #1: Don’t use a template

I have mentioned this in many of my previous blog posts. Resume template are very frustrating to use and more time is usually spent trying to customize the field to suit your unique skill set. Take my advice-don’t waste your time on a resume template. Instead, use a program like MS Word (or similar) to get started.

Tip #2: Identify the necessary sections

Time to fire up your computer and start typing out the various sections of your resume. At this point, don’t worry about the aesthetic appeal or design of your resume. Instead, just type up all the info in the various sections. You can worry about design later.

There are 4 mandatory sections that your resume should have. Theses field are as follows:

· Contact Info

· Work Experience

· Education

· Certification and Training

Once these have been identified, there are a couple of optional categories that can be listed on your resume. These are as follows:

· Awards and/or Accolades

· Publications

· Volunteer Work

· Board Memberships

· Interests and Hobbies

Tip #3: List in Reverse Chronological Order

Review all the information under each category and be sure that the various items are listed in reverse chronological order. That is, your most recent achievements or jobs should be listed first and then work your way to the oldest accomplishment.

Tip #4: Contact Info Matters

It is a good idea to list both an email address as well as a phone number where you can be reached. Another option is to list your LinkedIn url. However, if you choose to share your LinkedIn profile, be sure that your profile is up to date and you have a professional picture as well. Also, LinkedIn url’s are often very long so be sure that you customize your LinkedIn profile url. Here are instruction on how this is done: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/87/customizing-your-public-profile-url?lang=en

Tip #5: Stick to Two Pages

As a general rule of thumb your resume should only be two pages in length.u The majority of job seekers should stick to this rule.

I would say that there are only 3 exception to this rule. These are:

1. When you are a senior executive (and can’t list all experience on 2 pages)

2. When you are developing a resume for a technical position (where you need to list each project), and

3. When you are crafting a CV (for academics, etc).

Tip #6: Action Oriented Skill Statements

Under each job, you will list all of your accomplishments and achievements. Be sure that you stick to the following format to ensure that your skill statements have impacts.

Format: Action-Task-Result

Firstly, each statement or bullet point should start with an ACTION verb. Best to put this in a past tense verb.

Secondly, your statement should include what TASK(S) you accomplished

Lastly, each statement should be completed by indicating what the RESULT of this achievement/task was.

Here is an example of strong skill statement that was written for an entrepreneurial business profession. Notice that is follows the ACTION, TASK, RESULT framework:

Example: Bootstrapped a gamified fitness software application from concept to product launch in a period of 9 months and developed a customer database of 1300 members

Tip #7: Don’t Include Your Reference List

Your references should not be included in your resume itself. These can be listed on a separate document which can be provided to employers if requested. Be sure to include the following information on your reference page:

• First and Last Name

• Company Name

• Current Position (and former position if no longer working in same company)

• Phone Number

• Email Contact

Wrap Up

The above 7 resume writing tips can be used by those lucky job seekers who not yet had to craft a resume. It is true that networking is the best way to land a job but it is critical, in today's economy, that you have a well crafted resume to compliment your experience.

If you find the whole process of resume writing challenging and need some help, please have a look at our resume writing service options. We are here to help!