5 free resume templates | last resume templates you’ll use
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Transcript of 5 free resume templates | last resume templates you’ll use
5 F R E E R E S U M E T E M P L AT E SL A S T R E S U M E T E M P L AT E S YO U ’ L L U S E
Your resume is your primary marketing piece and your first chance to catch an
employer’s attention.
In order to stand out from the other applicants and be
among those who are called for an interview, your resume must be well written and well
formatted.
Use this guide and the templates to create a resume that will make a stellar first impression.
ESSENTIAL COMPONENTSThere are certain things that every good
resume must have in it’s content
T
HeadingObjective OR Personal ProfileWork ExperienceEducation
Essential Components
HeadingHaving your contact information at the top makes it easy for an employer to find it and
contact you to schedule an interview.
First, put your name (in a larger font than the rest) at
the top of the page.
Essential Components
Underneath your name, include your contact info
(phone number, address, and email) in the regular font size that you will use for the body
of the resume or smaller.
Objective OR
Personal Profile
Essential Components
Next, you could write an objective.
Writing a good objective can be tricky because it is intended to state what you are trying to accomplish (specifically, which job you are
trying to attain), yet it should be focused on how you would benefit the employer.
Essential Components
Refer to the specific job you are applying for in the objective, and make the objective concise and specific.
Essential Components
See the examples in the original resume blog here:
www.localwork.com/blog/5-free-resume-templates-last-resume-templates-youll-use
Objectives are sometimes seen as outdated, so you might want to consider your other option, a personal
profile.
Essential Components
This is a short summary of your skills, experiences, attributes, and unique qualifications that make you the best candidate for the job. It’s a little easier to stand out through a personal profile than an objective.
Essential Components
Another benefit of the profile is that even if it’s all an employer reads,
he will at least get a good summary of you and what you have to offer.
Your profile should be concise (between 1-4 sentences) and it can be in paragraph or bullet form.
Essential Components
It is important to choose skills and qualifications of yours that match the job
description. Therefore, your profile should be adjusted to
highlight different qualifications depending on
the job for which you are applying.
Essential Components
Work ExperiencePut your most recent job first, followed by the
second most recent, etc.
Essential Components
Third, include your relevant work experience. For each job, include your job title, the company it was with, the location, the dates you started and ended, and the outcomes of your work.
Essential Components
Go beyond simply listing the responsibilities you had, and instead focus on what you were able to do for the
company and how you made a difference.
Essential Components
Flaunt specific numbers if possible, like how much you
increased sales, cut costs, or slashed the turnover rate.
Also, include some of the key words and phrases written in
the job posting of the company you are applying
for.
Essential Components
If they are looking for an “experienced sales associate to
reach sales goals, deliver excellent customer service, and be an
effective team member,” then focus on how you reached sales
goals, helped customers with their needs, and collaborated well with
coworkers in your past work.
Education Include the college you graduated from or are currently
attending, your major, and the dates you started and ended.
Essential Components
Education goes below the job experience on the resume, unless you are still a student, in which case the education section belongs at the top.
Essential Components
THE ALWAYS AVOID LIST
Spelling and grammatical errors: spell check, reread
your resume multiple times, and have someone else proofread it for you.
THE ALWAYS AVOID LIST
This is especially important if the job you’re
applying for is one that requires attention to
detail.
Avoid lies and half-truths. Don’t be dishonest about job dates and don’t make it look like you’ve graduated if you haven’t. In short, just be honest.
THE ALWAYS AVOID LIST
Pamela Skillings from biginterview.com said,
“If you lie on your resume, you’re taking a big risk. First of all, you’re very likely to get busted during the background and reference checks. Even if you get lucky and make it through the hiring
process, dishonesty on your resume can get you fired down the road — even if you’ve been doing a great job…Another common fib is
with languages. Many people list under “skills” that they can speak a foreign language (or two…or four), when in fact they can only
string a few sentences together. Don’t think you won’t eventually be found out – you will. And trust me, it’s tough to learn Japanese in a
weekend.”
Don’t make it too long. Your resume should be
about a page unless you’re a very experienced
professional in which case your resume could potentially be 2 pages.
THE ALWAYS AVOID LIST
Be concise and use the space on the page efficiently,
although don’t use a font that is too small to read and don’t take away all margins. Some
white space on the page makes the resume look
pleasing to the eye and more reader-friendly.
Never list references directly on your resume. List them on a separate sheet and only provide them if requested.
THE ALWAYS AVOID LIST
Don’t use the words “I” or “we”.
If you used one of these words on one line, you would have to on every line, which would be
redundant and unnecessary.
THE ALWAYS AVOID LIST
WRITING FUNDAMENTALS
Outcomes vs. Tasks/Duties
When writing what you did at past jobs in your “Experience” section, don’t just list generic job descriptions that describe your usual duties and
responsibilities.
If the employer reading your resume is in the same field, chances are he or she will know more or less what you did in the day-to-day just by reading the job title.
WRITING FUNDAMENTALS
Highlight only unique and really relevant duties
from previous jobs, and then use most of the
space to tell how well you did your job. In other
words, tell them about your completed projects,
significant achievements, and specific numbers and
facts that show your success.
WRITING FUNDAMENTALS
For example, phrases like, “Increased sales by 15%” or “Ranked 2nd among sales
representatives in customer retention” are specific
achievements that back up the skills and abilities you say you
have.
If you don’t have numbers to support you, be specific in describing your achievements with detailed words. Focusing on the outcomes of your work makes you stand out from other people with similar job duties and shows you are unique in your success.
WRITING FUNDAMENTALS
Your achievements demonstrate that you didn’t just do a job, you did it well, you are hard-working and ambitious, and you have the
motivation to go above and beyond.
Katharine Hansen, a professional resume writer at Quintessential Careers, advises to ask yourself, “how have I helped this company to…”
make moneysave moneysave time
make work easier and more efficientsolve a specific problem
be more competitivebuild relationships
expand the businessattract new customers
retain existing customers
Write in Past or Present Tense?
When writing about past jobs that you no longer have, write in past tense. When writing about your current
job, write in present tense.
When writing about projects or other things
you did in the past at your current job but that
you no longer do, write them in past tense and only use present tense
for your current responsibilities.
WRITING FUNDAMENTALS
Active vs. Passive VoiceYou want to show that you’re a competent, aggressive,
and active candidate. Passive voice does not reflect that!
While some people write in passive voice on their resume because it sounds formal, it actually comes across as boring, unimpressive, and, well, passive.
WRITING FUNDAMENTALS
Avoid phrases like
“duties included,” and “responsible for.”
These are what would be seen on a job
description.
WRITING FUNDAMENTALS
Instead, choose action-oriented verbs such as:
managed, organized, increased, created, led, directed, oversaw, improved, solved.
WRITING FUNDAMENTALS
Not only do these words sound more
impressive, but they also help create
more concise and direct sentences.
Passive: Biweekly sales goals were reached 97 %
of the time.
Active: Achieved sales goals 97% of the time.
WRITING FUNDAMENTALS
Passive: Responsible for hiring and training new employees.
Active: Hired and trained new employees.
WRITING FUNDAMENTALS
See more great word choices here:
http://www.careerbliss.com/infographics/20-resume-power-words-infographic/
KEY TIPSHere are a few important guidelines to pay attention
to beyond just the content of your resume.
Still in School?If you are still in school and have little work experience, you
can include jobs you had in high school, volunteer experience, college clubs/organizations you are involved in, and
internships.
KEY TIPS
However, after college and as you
progress in your career, remove these
and only include more relevant and
recent information.
KEY TIPS
Switch Up Your Resume!!!
Avoid using one generic resume for all job applications.
KEY TIPS
Tailor your resume to each job you apply for and the specific skills and characteristics they are looking for in an employee. It is a good idea to have a few different versions of resumes to pull from.
KEY TIPS
For example, you might have one resume that
highlights your experience and skills in
marketing, another in product development, and another in sales.
KEY TIPS
Then, depending on the job you are applying for,
you can adjust these versions even more to
the specific position you want to obtain.
Make it Look GoodWhile content is most important, making your resume visually
appealing could also help get an employer’s attention.
KEY TIPS
A resume that is pleasing to the eye demonstrates your professionalism and attention to detail. A simple and thin font is best, such as Tahoma, Book Antiqua, or Georgia.
KEY TIPS
Keep the font size between 9-12 so it is easy to read. Be
professional and avoid making an artsy-looking resume with clip art or
pictures, or excessive color, designs, or lines.
Make your resume well organized so it is easy to
skim and find the most important information.
Make the headings clear, avoid excessive and
cramped text, and stick to short paragraphs and
bullets.
KEY TIPS
If an employer only looks at your resume for a few seconds, it needs to be
clear and easy to navigate so he can find what he’s
looking for.
Bullet 411Bullets make your resume more reader-friendly and concise.
KEY TIPS
Be consistent in bulleting, either use them throughout or don’t use them at all. In your “Experience” section, each job should have 2-5 bullet points. Make each point count! Don’t put too many words per bullet. 1-2 lines are all you need.
KEY TIPS
USE A TEMPLATEOnce all of your content is written and in order, an easy
way to make a well-formatted resume is to use a template.
KEY TIPS
“A good template can really help you streamline your resume and keep it organized and professional without taking up a lot of your time, allowing you to focus on the actual content, as well as searching for your next job. It helps you add a touch of personality, stay structured
and consistent and present your experience in a chronological, easy to read manner.”
Why use a template? As explained on hloom.com,
However, when everyone uses the
same template, it no longer stands out. To
avoid coming across as the same-old generic resume, use a quality template as a guide,
and then change a few things to make it yours.
KEY TIPS
ONCE YOUR RESUME IS READY TO GO…
Saving Your ResumeIt’s important to save your resume (and cover
letter) as a PDF file if you are submitting it electronically.
ONCE YOUR RESUME IS READY TO GO…
If a company doesn’t have the same program or version of Word that you have, your format could be altered in the transfer, and all of your hard work put into formatting would be a waste.
ONCE YOUR RESUME IS READY TO GO…
If you save your resume as a PDF, it will definitely be
received in its original format.
Naming Your FileInclude your full name in the resume title.
ONCE YOUR RESUME IS READY TO GO…
If an employer receives 50 resumes and they’re
all named, “myresume.doc”, he’s
going to have a hard time distinguishing who
they belong to.
ONCE YOUR RESUME IS READY TO GO…
Include your full name in the resume title. For
example, “Ashley Smith Resume”, or “Resume
for Ashley Smith.”
Printing for In-Person Submission
Spend a few cents extra and print your resume on high quality white or ivory paper.
ONCE YOUR RESUME IS READY TO GO…
Consider using resume paper, which can be purchased at office supply stores. It makes a professional first impression, which is an especially good idea when applying to a more formal position/company.
ONCE YOUR RESUME IS READY TO GO…
Print the cover letter and resume on separate
sheets of paper, never print double-sided. Avoid stapling your cover letter
and resume together. The best option is to
submit them in a folder.
ONCE YOUR RESUME IS READY TO GO…
Even if you don’t need to submit a paper copy of
your resume when applying, it’s a good idea to have a few copies on-hand
when you go to an interview (for you or the interviewers to refer to).
Match Your Cover LetterONCE YOUR RESUME IS READY TO GO…
Since the cover letter and resume go together, you want to be consistent and make sure they match visually. This will show your attention to detail and professionalism.
ONCE YOUR RESUME IS READY TO GO…
Here are some great rules of thumb to consider
Use the same font(s) in both
your cover letter and resume.
RULES OF THUMB TO CONSIDER
For in-person submission, print both on the same high-quality paper.
RULES OF THUMB TO CONSIDER
Match the formatting. For example, if you use lines
to separate sections in your resume, use those lines in the header and
footer of the cover letter. If you use an accent
color in your resume, use it in the cover letter.
Whatever format you choose, use it on both
pages.
RULES OF THUMB TO CONSIDER
For more information on how to write an excellent cover letter, visit this link:
www.localwork.com/blog/best-cover-letter-ever-ultimate-cover-letter-guide