Résumé—a document that most employers require from potential employees – a snapshot of one’s experiences, accomplishments, and other activities. Most of us create our first résumé in high school and continue updating it over time as we gain more experience.
If you have never created a résumé - fear not! I have been through it myself. It’s not as bad as getting a wisdom tooth pulled, but you should give it the time it deserves and you may need to go through multiple rewrites and redesigns before you create the résumé that best represents YOU.
What kind of information is important to include on a résumé? Many people struggle with this question, especially as they transition from high school to college. Given that high school is now in the rear-view mirror, what information from that time is still important? There is no single answer. Your résumé is a place to showcase your relevant achievements, experiences, and skills. Highlight “relevant.” Make sure everything you share is helpful to position you as the right person for THAT JOB at THAT COMPANY. Some things are worth emphasizing more or might need to be eliminated altogether depending on who and where you are sending it.
If you are sending it to a person or employer you don’t know, keep it short, clean, and clear. Do not over-explain points. For most, a conservative approach is the right course.
If you are sending it to a company you know or a person you know, try to share the info that would best position you for that company, person, or specific position. That might mean emphasizing your hobbies, interest, or sports activities. For a different company, it might mean focusing on your work experience to date. The fact that you speak a foreign language could be super important to some employers and less relevant to others. The bottom line – there is no such thing as a one-size fits all résumé. Think about who will review it as you decide what parts of YOU to focus on.
Here are 6 steps that I took in creating my first résumé that could help you as well:
- Decided what to share.
Before getting into the layout phase, figure out what you want to share. Just write information down and don’t worry about what it looks like. My résumé includes my work experience, organized activities, clubs and other organizations - including any leadership positions and meaningful accomplishments. I also include some of my personal interests, skills, and activities. - Create a clean, uncluttered layout.
Personally, I do not like using a standard template, I like to develop my own layout - one that best represents the information I want to share and emphasize it in a way that is pleasing to the eye. It should be easy to ready and your eyes should automatically drift to the things you think are most important. It took me several tries before I got to a layout that worked for me the first time. Templates a great way to get good ideas, but don’t feel constrained by them. - Use bolding, underlining, bullets and parenthesis to break things up.
Let your information breathe; break up the information. Things like bolded words can help, but use them sparingly. You can definitely overdo it. Keep everything in chronological order. If you are going to use bullets, periods, parenthesis, numbers, and dates, make sure you use them consistently. - Use a standard, clean, professional font.
Do not use Comic Sans, Braggadocio or any other fancy fonts. Some appropriate résumé fonts include Calibri and Times New Roman. Using a more traditional font will clean up the layout and present a cleaner cut. - Be sure to include your contact information.
Employers will need a way to contact you. Include all the ways in which they can contact you, including your address, phone number, and email address. You may even want to include your LinkedIn address if it is updated and ready for viewing (which is should be if you are sending out your résumé). - Make sure you use a professional email.
I use my university email to contact employers, it looks more professional. If you do not have a university email, use a personal email with an appropriate address, not your 5th grade email address, for example, abbeythedancemaster@gmail.com.
One last thing, before you ever share it with a potential employer or send it anywhere, share it with friends, family, and other contacts you respect. Give your résumé a few dry runs before you send them into the real world.
Happy résumé building!
