Your resume is the piece of paper that speaks for you to a potential employer. It is a selling tool that us meant to tell your story and communicate your value. Many times they see your resume before they even meet you. That’s why it’s so important to make a statement with a well thought out, clean and professional resume.
According to Tulane University, here are 10 tips to help you prepare a resume designed to land you any job.
- Put yourself in the shoes of your reader. Consider the knowledge, skills, experience and personality characteristics the hiring professional is looking for, and clearly demonstrate these throughout your resume.
- Write a dynamic objective, profile, or skills summary section to focus the reader’s attention on your skills and areas of interest. This should provide a quick look of who you are and what you have to offer.
- Describe your experience, strengths and selling points in brief, bulleted sentences or phrases. Begin each description with a strong action verb (such as “Launched, coordinated, designed…”) and use keywords relating to the position.
- Present your information in an organized format to maximize readability with the most relevant information first. This means 10-12 point font, margins no less that ¾ of an inch, and organizing sections with descriptive headings.
- Begin the education section with your highest degree and the date you will receive it. If relevant, insert your GPA and any notable coursework relevant to the position.
- Include experience, paid or unpaid, related to the position you are applying for. List your job title, the organization you worked for, location, and dates of employment followed by 2-4 bulleted phrases describing your accomplishments made in that position.
- Consider including extracurricular activities, community service and volunteer experience in a section labeled “Leadership” or “Leadership and Service”. Add a descriptive bullet under each experience, with dates if relevant.
- Highlight technical, language, lab, research and/or computer skills in a defined “skills” section. Include levels of proficiency where relevant.
- Proofread your resume cover to cover and ask someone for a second set of eyes to proofread as well.
- Field test your resume with professors, parents, friends, mentors, etc. Ask for feedback, recommendations, and referrals to others who can help you make the connections you need in your jobs search.
Source: https://tulane.edu/hiretulane/students/upload/10-Tips-for-a-Great-Resume.pdf