- 1). Type your name, address block, phone number and email address just under the top margin of a new blank document screen in an easy to read, conservative font such as Arial or Times New Roman, 12 point. Your page margins should be narrow enough to accommodate all information on one page if possible, or wide enough to space fewer entries attractively on the page.
- 2). Compose a Summary of Qualifications section instead of an objective. Ideally, the items listed in this section should highlight your primary skill set and any additional transferable skills that best describe your work ethic and are directly related to the job you're applying for.
- 3). Create an Experience section, with the "Experience" header formatted exactly the same as the previous "Summary of Qualifications" header. Use a target résumé format for this section to emphasize that your previous experience is a direct match for the new job requirements. List each of your past jobs in reverse chronological order, and put the name of the position in bold type on the first line. Put company name, city and state on the next line, followed by the range of years worked on the last line or flush right from the company name. Follow this format for each of the previous positions cited.
- 4). Type the job summary for each position in a bulleted-list format, beginning each item with a strong action verb such as "handled," "organized," "maintained," "created," "implemented," "processed" or "arranged." Be sure to list the verbs as past tense for all of your previous jobs. List these action items in order of importance to the position.
- 5). Add an "Education" section next, listing the school, year(s) attended, course of study and diploma, certificate or degree received.
- 6). Enter a "Certifications and Awards" section to highlight any job-related awards or certifications, listing the name of the award or certification and the organization that presented it, if applicable.
- 7). Conclude with a bolded, centered line of text that says "References available upon request" if there is ample room at the end of the résumé.
next post