A resume is usually the first thing an employer looks at when they are thinking of bringing on a new employee. A proper resume should showcase your skills, play down any potential weaknesses and really cater to your strengths. A few years ago, hiring managers would sit and read through each resume before choosing several candidates. Now a days, computers scan your resume electronically. And this is why you need a new set of rules when preparing to get your first job out of college.
Photo via Flickr
Before we go into the details though, I’d like to remind you that if you have not graduated yet, it is important to get some sort of industry related internship under your belt. If all you can find are unpaid internships, figure out a way to make it work. Getting that experience will give you a leg up on the competition.
How to Write a Resume
First lets start with the basics. A resume should tell a story. A story about you. It should be clear and concise without a lot of extra wording and fluff. Start with the end in mind. Where do you want to work? What industry do you want to be in? Let’s say that you’ve decided to pursue a job in accounting. What type of accounting? As you narrow down your choice, you can start to fill in your resume with the most relevant experience. You will also see where your resume might be weak and you can work on getting experience to fill in any holes.
Choose the Right Layout
There are two basic ways to write a resume but there is no right or wrong way. It depends on what is normal in your industry. For example, if you are looking for a position as an actor, a call sheet would be part of your resume complete with photos. If you are searching for a position in the design industry, a more creative resume is fine. In the business world, a standard one page resume is typical. Make sure you are choosing the layout that fits the position you are looking to get.
Eliminate Gaps
If there are any gaps in your work history, make sure you fill them in with something. Maybe you were in college and worked on and off. That’s fine, but what extra activity were you doing in college while you were not working? Maybe you were laid off recently. What did you do during that time? Volunteer? Employers want to know that you are ‘employable‘. This means that they don’t want you if no one else wants you. It’s a very simple concept. If you have too many gaps, the employer may think that you hop around too much. I know that I worked several positions while in college and some consecutively. I used most of the jobs but eliminated any that were not necessary and made sure that a continuous flow of jobs could be recognized.
Use White Space
I’m sure that you have plenty to add into your resume; between education, internships, study abroad programs, languages, you resume could easily span 2 to 3 pages. Try not to write a book on yourself. Save that for the professional profile, which I will talk about later. Margins are your friend. I used to use half inch margins but I used less of a margin at the top and more at the bottom. Make sure to align dates, put cities in the correct place and write your resume so that the eye flows back and forth easily without getting bogged down in any one place. Make sure to use bullet points when needed.
Emphasize Skills
Think about any achievements that make you stand out as a candidate. An all star baseball championship may not be appropriate in the work section of the resume, but you can put it in a section labeled ‘top achievements‘. It just depends on what you most want the employer to know about you. Are you a hard worker? Add your class rank. Do you have good social talents? Include school clubs and leadership awards. The point of this section is to really send home the message that you are the best candidate.
Never Passive, Always Active
Your resume should read as if you are the star of the show. Nothing should be happening to you, you should be the one making things happen. Take a look at this example and see which you think is better.
- Was elected president of the Business Leaders Club.
- Ran a successful campaign and won the title of President of the Business Leaders Club.
Who would you rather hire? The person who just happened to fall into the position of president because an election went well or the person who actively persuaded people to vote for them? The first is a passive stance. The second shows more action and more of a go getter. Make sure you are using action verbs in your resume and the descriptions under each position.
How to Submit the Best Online Resume
Ok, now that you have your physical resume that you can attach to job applications and mail out when needed, you need to know how the new online resume systems work. It all comes down to one word, or several, if you will, keywords.
Proper Use of Keywords
The computers that scan resumes online are looking for certain words. These words are key phrases that are popular in your industry and show that you know what you are talking about. For example, in college I joined a student managed investment fund and we researched stocks and recommended purchases for the portfolio. In the industry, this is called buy-side analysis. So instead of including the details of what I did, I simply wrote, performed buy-side analysis with the student managed investment fund. Immediately when the computer scans and recognizes this word, my resume is scored higher than another candidate that just mentioned that they researched stocks. Get it? You should know your industry well enough to know what the ‘buzz words’ are. Make sure you are using these words in your resume.
Support with Professional Profiles
Your resume does not stop with the paper, the initial background check extends to the internet. Are you checking you online profiles and what can be found on you? At the very least, you should have a Linkedin profile with your professional achievements. However, there is one section of Linkedin that I think most people really miss, the recommendations section. Ask for a recommendation from anyone that you’ve worked with and preferably managers, and people in your industry. Your resume may only be one page, but your Linkedin profile can extend with further information that supports you as the top candidate.
Did I miss anything? What suggestions would you give someone who is writing a resume for the first time?
This post is part of our new Career section dedicating to helping you succeed in your career.
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Andy Hough says:
January 17, 2012 at 3:33 pm (UTC -4 )
Those are some good tips. If I decide to seek employment I’ll need to make a new resume and will put these tips to use.
LaTisha says:
January 17, 2012 at 3:37 pm (UTC -4 )
Thanks Andy!
Tushar@EverythingFinance says:
January 17, 2012 at 3:53 pm (UTC -4 )
This is a very good howto guide for writing resumes. Nicely Done Latisha!
LaTisha Styles says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:20 pm (UTC -4 )
Thanks Tushar!
Eric says:
January 17, 2012 at 4:21 pm (UTC -4 )
Those are some great tips. Also make sure to update the resume to be unique for each job you apply for. Each job is unique, and the resume should be too.
LaTisha Styles says:
January 17, 2012 at 10:11 pm (UTC -4 )
Good point. I had about 4 resumes at one point that all focused on different skills depending on the finance emphasis.
Lisa @ Cents To Save says:
January 17, 2012 at 6:10 pm (UTC -4 )
Great Tips LaTisha! Online resume submission can be challenging!
LaTisha Styles says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:21 pm (UTC -4 )
Very true! I never realized until I did a little research. You can be out of the running before you even get in front of a human being!
Aloysa @ My Broken Coin says:
January 17, 2012 at 6:17 pm (UTC -4 )
Great tips! I in fact use all of them. Just haven’t updated my resume in… years.
LaTisha Styles says:
January 17, 2012 at 10:13 pm (UTC -4 )
I’ve heard it’s always good to have the resume updated but to be honest, it’s not a top priority for me right now.
Squirrelers says:
January 17, 2012 at 7:28 pm (UTC -4 )
I like how you noted that resumes should include language that is active and not passive. Talking about what you led, directed, etc is better than just saying that you were responsible for something. Also, quantifying results/accomplishments can help too. People often like to see that someone made an employer money, either through revenue growth or cost savings.
LaTisha Styles says:
January 17, 2012 at 10:14 pm (UTC -4 )
Yes! Numbers and accomplishments are very important. If you can quantify what you have done, it seems to make it more impressive.
Jai Catalano says:
January 17, 2012 at 7:59 pm (UTC -4 )
What you did when you were laid off is really good. Totally using every opportunity to shine.
I love the Mike Nelson Photo too.
Jai
LaTisha Styles says:
January 17, 2012 at 10:16 pm (UTC -4 )
Yeah, it’s important to make sure all gaps are filled.
Isn’t it a great shot?
World of Finance says:
January 17, 2012 at 8:12 pm (UTC -4 )
LinkedIn is a very powerful professional networking site, it’s like facebook but with a professional twist. And yes, the recommendation section is vastly overlooked. I’m actually working on building up mine now
Great article!
LaTisha Styles says:
January 17, 2012 at 10:17 pm (UTC -4 )
They also have an option where you can rearrange the sections and feature whichever you like. I used to have my work history at the top but i rearranged and now the recommendations are right under my picture.
World of Finance says:
January 18, 2012 at 10:07 pm (UTC -4 )
Nice! I’ll have to look into this. Thanks for the tip.
Jen @ Master the Art of Saving says:
January 17, 2012 at 8:38 pm (UTC -4 )
Great tips and information! I haven’t done anything with my resume in YEARS, but if I ever need to, I will take your advice. Great post, LaTisha!
LaTisha Styles says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:22 pm (UTC -4 )
It’s always good to keep it brushed up! Especially if you’ve recently earned achievements or took on more responsibility at work.
SB @ One Cent At A Time says:
January 17, 2012 at 10:49 pm (UTC -4 )
Good tips. I would add what I look for in a job seeker’s resume. A clear separation between education and work experience. Spelling and grammatical error free. What the candidate wanted to bring up front, we all know no body reads resume fully and only scan through it.
So its important that you highlight your core skills at different places to catch eyeball.
LaTisha Styles says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:23 pm (UTC -4 )
Spelling and grammar are often overlooked. I used to be in charge of 1 round interviews when I worked as an assistant manager. If I saw errors the resume immediately went in the ‘no’ pile.
Marissa @ Thirty Six Months says:
January 17, 2012 at 11:14 pm (UTC -4 )
Very thorough. This is so timely since I just pulled out mine to brush up.
LaTisha Styles says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:24 pm (UTC -4 )
Glad it could help!
Super Frugalette says:
January 17, 2012 at 11:36 pm (UTC -4 )
Nice job!
LaTisha Styles says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:24 pm (UTC -4 )
Thanks!
Kylie Ofiu says:
January 18, 2012 at 1:35 am (UTC -4 )
This is an excellent guide on writing a resume. It is so important to have a great resume to really stand out as so many people are job hunting.
Thanks for sharing!
LaTisha Styles says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:31 pm (UTC -4 )
The competition is fierce too! Not only are you competing with people with the same level of experience but you are also competing with people with more experience that are willing to accept less pay just because times are hard.
Moneycone says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:42 am (UTC -4 )
Good tips LaTisha. I can’t stress the value of using keywords enough! Make sure you use them. Lot of companies scan resumes for keywords before shortlisting.
LaTisha Styles says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:32 pm (UTC -4 )
I always assume that if there is an online submission, they will be scanning for keywords. In the cover letter and resume.
Clare @ Young and Thrifty says:
January 18, 2012 at 12:13 pm (UTC -4 )
Adding volunteer work and activities help boost your resume especially when you have gaps in employment. Employers like to recruit people who are more likely to go above the job requirements and take on extra projects. Keywords are so important I keep a list of them nearby
LaTisha Styles says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:29 pm (UTC -4 )
Volunteer work is a great way to fill in gaps also. My plan was to use my website and volunteer work to fill in the gap I had in my professional experience.
Suba says:
January 18, 2012 at 12:58 pm (UTC -4 )
Great tips, LaTisha. Only thing I would add is to keep the whole resume short. I have seen 5 page resume for someone with 1 year experience.
LaTisha Styles says:
January 18, 2012 at 7:27 pm (UTC -4 )
Very good point. I’ve heard that more than one page should only be used for someone with senior level experience. I think if you only include relevant experience you should be able to keep it down to one page.
Charles says:
January 18, 2012 at 8:22 pm (UTC -4 )
that reminds me. i should update my resume! it’s been so long and most outdated. im going to reflect on your points as i update it. thanks!
LaTisha Styles says:
January 21, 2012 at 12:28 pm (UTC -4 )
I should probably update mine as well. I’ve only been in my new job a few months though. But it’s always good to keep it updated.
Thad @ ThadThoughts.Com says:
January 18, 2012 at 8:49 pm (UTC -4 )
Great tips on writing a resume that “pops”. It’s vital to keep it up to date and to cut through the static (of thousands of other resumes).
LaTisha Styles says:
January 21, 2012 at 12:32 pm (UTC -4 )
Sometimes your resume is the only point of reference an employer has so it’s important to make a good first impression.
Wayne @ Young Family Finance says:
January 18, 2012 at 11:23 pm (UTC -4 )
You can really take advantage of computer scans. For example, you can list key words in the margins using white font. That way they are picked up by a scan, but not human eyes. I found three letter acronyms the most helpful: CPA, CMA, FMA, CFP, etc…
LaTisha Styles says:
January 21, 2012 at 12:33 pm (UTC -4 )
Ooh, that’s a good idea. I’ve never thought of doing that. Another way to use the system to your advantage. Thanks!
Robert @ The College Investor says:
January 18, 2012 at 11:31 pm (UTC -4 )
Great tips – like the headshot pic. If employers can place a name with a face, you’re set!
LaTisha Styles says:
January 21, 2012 at 12:48 pm (UTC -4 )
Yes, especially if you use the same pic consistently across all professional profiles.
Juan says:
January 19, 2012 at 5:09 pm (UTC -4 )
I like the tip on trying to make it tell a story. I know I have felt so pressed to get the information across that at times I have forgotten that there is a person on the other side reading the resume.
LaTisha Styles says:
January 21, 2012 at 12:48 pm (UTC -4 )
People love stories and if you can tell one in your resume you will have that much more of an edge over the competition.
Financial Samurai says:
January 19, 2012 at 9:23 pm (UTC -4 )
Some good tips, I like it on the keywords and active tense. I think my 3rd most traffic post is “Good Resumes That Get Jobs”, so hopefully this helps for your site too.
LaTisha Styles says:
January 21, 2012 at 12:53 pm (UTC -4 )
I’m pretty excited if only for the social promotion alone. Thanks for pushing me to do the 1000 word post!
Jackie says:
January 20, 2012 at 8:11 am (UTC -4 )
I really like your examples in the “never passive, always active” section. They show just how important that is. And I agree that getting work experience under your belt will make a college graduate stand out. It’ll also give them connections in the working world, which is a good thing too.
LaTisha Styles says:
January 21, 2012 at 12:55 pm (UTC -4 )
Connections are invaluable and I think putting everything in the active tense really makes you think about what it is that you contribute as an employee to an organization.
femmefrugality says:
January 23, 2012 at 2:20 pm (UTC -4 )
Great tips! I, too, like the never passive, always active section. And great tip about linked in….I really need to get on that one.
LaTisha Styles says:
January 23, 2012 at 5:45 pm (UTC -4 )
Linkedin is also a great place for leads. Some say that it is where recruiters start their search these days.
Your Smart Money Moves says:
January 25, 2012 at 6:24 pm (UTC -4 )
Great article! I especially like the section “Never Passive, Always Active – Your resume should read as if you are the star of the show.” In today’s business place “active” will make you king!
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