How to Write a Resume

1. WHAT TO INCLUDE: When you wish to write a resume include these things: your full name, your contact information, your essential job history, your skills, your education, and any special information pertinent to the job you are applying for. When you write a resume choose a simple format. Resume formats are skill focused, job focused, or chronological. Pick one resume format to write and be consistent throughout. Pick the format that highlights your best attributes. Ask yourself what you wish to feature most about yourself, that you are very well skilled, very well educated or that you have a very long career. Trying to feature all three might be overkill.

2. WHAT NOT TO INCLUDE: When you write a resume you need to consider what not to include. Do not include irrelevant facts. What your potential employer wants to read are facts he/she cares about for your performance for his/her job. Your potential employer really is not interested much in your previous life history only so much as it applies to your ability to perform his/her job. When you write your resume do not include jobs you worked at for a short time because this screams that you will leave your new employer holding the bag also. Do not include jobs you were fired from, you will not get the job.

3. MISTAKES: Do not make mistakes when you write a resume. Proof your resume and give to a reliable source to proof again. Check for obvious spelling errors but also check for spacing mistakes and inconsistencies in formatting. If you underline one job and bold the next, this looks poor. Check your facts, be sure your dates, places, and names are correct. When you write a resume you are showing your future employer how you will do the job, be it neat and orderly, sloppy and careless, or consistent and thorough.

4. DOWN TIME: When you write a resume build in down time. That is to say, if you were laid off from a job and have had no formal work history for two years, consider what you can write in your resume that reflects this time. Perhaps in these two years you were a student back at school, or you were a homemaker raising your children, or did freelance work, use those words for these times. Be sure you can back this up with some facts, do not try to snow your prospective employer with fluff.

5. WHEN TO USE THE RESUME: A resume is not an appropriate job finding tool for every job. When you write a resume also be prepared to fill out applications when asked. Bring your resume with you so you have all your information neatly typed in front of you for reference. Often you can attach your resume to your application, but do complete the application nicely.

6. THE BEST TIME TO GET A GOOD JOB: When you sit down to write a resume consider an old saying, "the best time to get a good job is when you have a job". Try not to look for a good job when you are unemployed. As ridiculous as that might sound, look for a job first. Work that job well and while you are meaningfully employed then write a resume and apply for a good job. You can now state to your prospective employer you wish to improve yourself. Prospective employers do not like unemployed people. Your new prospective employer will automatically think something is wrong with you that you do not have a job. Consider taking a job in a business which offers advancement and start low.

7. REFERENCES: Consider your references when you write a resume. You should be able to provide three upon request. When asked, be prepared with contact information. Many employers will not call your references, but they like to have them anyway.

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