3 Tips For Writing A Successful Resume

Writing a resume is a very important step in the job search process. A resume is usually the first thing an employer sees, and it must create a good impression for the candidate to get an interview. The following are a few top Resume Writing tips from a Certified Professional Resume Writer.

Tip #1: Create A Master Resume

A master resume is a document that holds all possible information about a person's education, work history, skills, awards, volunteerism, and anything else remotely job-related. By creating a master resume, job seekers can have all the information they need in one place and easily create targeted resumes from the master. A master resume should be formatted simply so the categories are easy to identify. However, it's important to remember that a master resume is intended as a tool, not as an actual resume to submit. See the next tip to understand why.

Tip #2: Target The Resume To The Job

A master resume might be several—or many—pages long, depending on how long the job seeker has been in the workforce and how varied his or her experience is. But, employers don't want to read through multiple pages. In fact, most hiring managers spend an average of six seconds looking at a resume, and if they don't see the experience and skills they're looking for immediately, they're likely to move on to other candidates. While there is no hard-and-fast rule regarding resume length, the most relevant details should appear close to the top of the first page. That's why it's important to create a targeted resume for each job.

Tip #3: Format For Clarity

There are many ways to format a resume, and it's possible to add personal touches that make a resume stand out from the crowd. However, clarity should always be the first consideration in resume design. Choose a font style that has a professional look and is easy to read, such as the classic fonts Times New Roman, Arial, and Helvetica. The ideal font size range is 10.5 to 12. In addition, a bold font can make major headings stand out. Margins should be between 1 and 1.5 inches wide, and text should be single-spaced.