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Resume writing 101

By Marisa Andros

How do you create a resume that will stand out and land you an interview? In the world of resumes, content is king.  

Resumes are meant to give a brief overview of your experience and skills and highlight your accomplishments. Your resume should include targeted content that is specific for the job you are applying for, and it should be simple and concise.

So what should you write?  

Resumes typically have four basic sections: Profile/Overview, Skills/Achievements, Experience and Education.  

Profile/Overview

Think of your profile section as an elevator pitch. It’s a one paragraph opportunity for you to really sell yourself to the employer and provide an overview of your professional expertise and capabilities that describe why you would be the most suitable candidate for the position.

In this section, use keywords pertaining to the role. To determine these keywords look at the job description and research industry buzzwords, and then focus on how your skillset is in line with the specific job you are applying for.

Skills/Achievements

Your skills and achievement section is an opportunity for you to shine the spotlight on what you have to offer and the key achievements you’ve made.

Highlight your top skills and achievements in a Summary of Qualifications profile. Quantify how you have made improvements at your places of employment using specific examples of how you made a difference at each company. For example, how did you help with cost savings? Were you able to increase profitability?

Experience

Use your experience section to give an overview of your employment history, pulling in the information that is relevant to the position you are applying for.  

When it comes to providing information on your experience don’t just list your job duties, use meaningful words – like developed, managed, and implemented – and follow each of these impact words with something you accomplished to provide validity for your statement. Always be honest and make sure any numbers, years and statistics you have provided on your resume are accurate.

Education

The education component of your resume highlights your formal education, including your degree and any certifications/designations.

In terms of education, clearly highlight the school and program you completed. You can also add any professional associations you are/were a part of and include any volunteer/community experience. If you have achieved award recognition throughout your education and/or through your employment history, make sure to add that information too.

And lastly, proofread, proofread, proofread! Always ensure you have checked your resume for spelling and grammatical errors, and if possible, have a second set of eyes look over it for you.

Hope these tips helped! For a further checklist on tips for creating resumes, including how to properly format your resume to make it easier for recruiters to digest, you can review this resource.

Good luck!

Marisa is a Recruitment Advisor on our Talent team. Having reviewed thousands of resumes, she definitely knows what makes a resume stand out from the crowd. 

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