Resume Writing Tips to Help You Land a Job 28 Apr 2020

Resume Heading
Full Name (Jane M. Applicant or Jane Applicant)
Street Address (options for listing your address)
City, State, Zip
Email Address (don’t use your work email)
Telephone Number (make sure you have a professional voicemail message for missed calls)

Profile
Adding a profile or an objective to your resume gives the employer a brief overview of your qualifications. This is an optional component of a resume. If you include it, focus on what prospective employers are seeking rather than what you want in your next job. Hiring managers want to know what you have to offer.

Summary of Qualifications
A summary of qualifications is another optional section of a resume. It’s a statement that includes your skills, abilities, experience, and what qualifies you for the position.

Experience
Your work history is the most important component of your resume. Employers will want to know where you have worked, when you worked there, and what responsibilities you held in each role that you had. They will be looking to see how your experience lines up with what they are looking for in prospective employees.

• List the jobs and internships you have held in reverse chronological order, with the most recent positions first.
• For each position, include: job title, company, location, dates of employment, and a bulleted list of the strongest accomplishments for each job.
• Verb tense should be present tense for your current job if you are employed, and past tense for prior employment.

If you’re not sure of employment dates, here’s how to recreate your employment history. It’s important to be accurate because employers do conduct background checks.

Volunteer Work
If you have volunteer experience that’s related to the jobs you’re applying for, or if you have volunteered to avoid an employment gap, list volunteering as you would the jobs you have held. Review these tips for including volunteer work on your resume.

Education
The education section generally comes next. You need only to list degrees earned, with the highest first, if you have been out of school for a few years.

If you’re a student or recent graduate, the education section of your resume can be listed above your employment history. If you have work experience, list it below that section. Education should be listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent and advanced education first. Include the name of the school, the degree earned, and the date you graduated.

Whether you include your GPA on your resume depends on how long ago you graduated and how high your GPA is. Here’s information on when to list your GPA on your resume.

Certifications
The next section of your resume includes any certifications you have.

Awards and Accomplishments
Don’t be shy about mentioning awards and achievements you have earned. They show the employer that you are a well-credentialed candidate who has been recognized for your accomplishments.

Skills
This section of a resume includes the skills you have that are directly related to the job for which you’re applying. Employers typically list required or preferred skills in the job listings when itemizing the qualifications for the position. List your most closely related abilities here, using a bulleted list format.

Personal Interests
If you have personal interests that are strongly related to the position you’re applying for, list them here. This can be helpful if you’re applying for jobs where you don’t have a lot of related work experience, but you do have expertise achieved in other ways.