Begin a Resume

Getting started on a resume can be a daunting task if you've never done it before! However, if you take it step by step, you'll have it done in no time. Start by brainstorming information about your work experience and skills. Then, pick a structure for your resume, and organize that information into your structure.

Steps

Brainstorming Your Information

1. Write down all the jobs you've had, including volunteer positions. Start with a blank sheet of paper or a blank document on your computer. Brainstorm by writing down each job you've had in the last 20 years.
   • List every single job you've had, even if they don't seem relevant. Leave space to add in details in a moment.
2. Jot down the details about the tasks you did at each job. Separate the job out into individual tasks, and write each one down. You won't include all this information on your resume, but it helps you figure out what jobs are relevant for what job.
   • For instance, if you worked as a paralegal, don't just write "assisted lawyers." Write "researched individual cases," "edited briefs," "attended county auctions," "organized law library," and "edited law books written by lawyers at the firm."
   • Include any committees you served on, teams you worked with, the software you used, and any products you developed or sold.
3. Add in specific dates, budgets, and other numbers relevant to the job. You'll need the dates you worked at each job, but you'll also need any numbers relevant to the job. That includes things like the number of people you supervised, the budget you had to work with, and the number of reports you wrote a week.
   • It can also include numbers like the percentage by which you exceeded your sales quota or the percentage by which you increased efficiency.
4. Write down any awards or note-worthy accomplishments. Think about any awards you've received in the last 20 years. Did you make the Dean's List? Write that down. Did you get employee of the month? Write that down.
5. Borrow ideas from other people in similar jobs. Find people with similar experience to yours on sites like LinkedIn, and look at their resumes. Check to see if they have anything you've forgotten to add to yours.
   • You can start by looking up old co-workers who worked the same position as you.

Choosing Your Resume's Style

1. Create sections for your resume. What sections you include will depend on where you are in your career, the job you're applying for, and the field you work in. However, some basic sections you can use are "Experience," "Skills," "Awards," and "Education."
   • For instance, early in your career, you'll probably focus more on awards and education, while later in your career, you'll probably focus more on experience.
   • You could also include a section on professional organizations.
2. Choose a chronological resume in more traditional jobs. In the past, resumes were almost always organized by dates, and this approach will still work well in traditional fields where the reader is likely to belong to an older generation, such as in government offices, traditional corporation jobs, and fields like engineering or the sciences. For this approach, organize your information by the date each thing happened, rather than by relevance.
   • You can still divide by sections. Just organize chronologically within each section.
   • Start with the most relevant category. For instance, if you're just out of school, education may be the most relevant. If you've been in the field for years, your experience may be more relevant.
3. Pick a functional resume when you're trying to change direction. With this type of resume, you'll list your information according to the most relevant skills. That way, your potential employer can see how you will benefit the company immediately.
   • For instance, if you're moving from engineering to a job in sales, you'll need to show why you're the right fit for the job. A chronological resume likely won't cut it, so focus on the skills you've learned that are relevant to this job, such as working with customers, selling certain products, or designing a unit to a customer's specifications.
   • This type of resume can help discourage an employer from throwing your resume out because they think you don't have enough experience in the field.

Organizing Your Information

1. Place your header at the top with your contact information. Every resume should start with contact information. You'll need your name, address, email, phone number, and any other relevant contact information.
   • Use a professional email address, such as one that includes your first and last name. You can set up a new one for free if you don't have one.
   • For some positions, it may be appropriate to include a link to your LinkedIn account or your social media handles. Typically, you should only do this if it's relevant to the job, such as if the position you're applying for is social media manager.
2. Sort and process your information. Line up the categories you've chosen for your resume, and sort the jobs, experience, awards, and so on into each category. Add in any extra information you remember for each part.
   • You can now save this resume as a separate document for a "master resume," one that you can draw on to build more focused resumes.
3. Edit out the information that's not needed from your resume. Go back to the job description, and compare it to what you have on your resume. Take out anything that's not relevant or interesting. If you don't think it would impress your new boss, it shouldn't be on there.
   • For instance, you may need to take off your library assistant job from high school.
   • However, try not to leave in large gaps in your work experience. If you do, try to write a short explanation in your cover letter.
4. Write a resume summary. The resume summary goes above your categories and below your contact information. However, it's easier to write after you get everything else in place because it covers what you included in your resume.
   • Your resume summary should be a 1-2 sentence statement that goes over your experience and why it makes you an excellent candidate for the job.
   • For instance, your summary might be "Passionate NICU nurse with 15+ years working with children and pediatrics, seeking to increase efficiency and best patient outcome at Memorial Hospital. At Grace Hospital, implemented programs that increased efficiency by 15%, and at Baptist Hospital, worked on a board to reduce infant mortality by 17%."
   • This statement isn't absolutely necessary, but it does provide a quick snapshot for your potential employer.
5. Polish and refine. This is enough to get you started on your resume, but you need to edit it down some more, check it for grammatical errors, and make sure it falls under 1 page, unless it's a curriculum vitae. Take time to go over it again and again, and let someone else read over it, too.
   • Also, take time to create a simple format for it, so it looks professional and organized. You can use a template for it if you don't know where to begin.

References

See also

• Make a Reference Page
• Write a Follow Up Email to a Resume Submission
• Use Keywords to Strengthen Your Resume
• Write a Psychology Resume
• Write a Forklift Driver's Resume
• Format a Resume for an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
• Prepare a Resume for a Transcriptionist
• Make a Culinary Resume
• Write Good Resumes to Impress the Employers
• Write a Resume for a Medical Imaging Job

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