Write an Entry Level Resume

A resume is the first step toward landing a job. Writing one, however, can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t have much work experience. When putting together your first resume, aim to keep it to just 1 page, and organize it so that HR recruiters and hiring managers can easily find the most important information. By following these and other simple steps, you can make a resume that will land you the job you want.

Steps

Formatting Your Resume

  1. Limit your resume to just 1 page. Recruiters and hiring managers are swamped with resumes, and typically have enough time to just skim each one. Keeping your resume to 1 page will also demonstrate your ability to summarize important information.[1]
    • Put the information you most want the HR department to see at the top of your resume to increase the likelihood that the person reviewing your resume will see it.
    • You can follow the order shown in the image above, or, if you have relatively little experience, rearrange it to move your “education & certificate” above the “experience” section.
    • For example, if the company is looking for someone who has a specific type of occupational license that you have, put that information at the very top of your resume in the “summary” or “skills” section.
  2. Use a font that displays professionalism. Choose a common font style, like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. Set the main text of your resume to 10- or 11-point size.[2]
    • You can use fonts other than those listed above, but try to avoid fonts that may make your resume hard to read or look too casual, such as Bradley Hand or Chalkduster.
    • If you use a smaller font size, the recruiter or hiring manager reviewing your resume may have trouble reading it.
    • Using a larger font, on the other hand, may make the recruiter or hiring manager think that you’re trying to fill space on the page to hide a lack of relevant experience.
  3. Put your name in bold and make it a larger font size. While you should write most of your resume in 10- to 11-point font, you’ll want to make your name stand out so a recruiter or hiring manager will know at a glance whose resume they’re looking at. Make the font size of your name several points larger than everything else on your resume. A 13-14-point font will work well.[3]
    • Put your name at the top center of your resume.
  4. Include your contact information so an interviewer can reach you. Print your physical address, phone number, email address, and address to your LinkedIn profile, if you have one. Make the section with your contact information look symmetrical.[4]
    • Use a professional-looking email address that contains some version of your name, and avoid ones that look too casual.
    • JediHero2019@gmail.com is an example of an email that is too casual to put on a resume.
    • Create a LinkedIn profile or keep it up-to-date and make sure it matches the information you provide in your resume and cover letter.
    • LinkedIn is a free, professional networking website, where you can connect with employers and other jobseekers.
  5. Organize your experiences in reverse chronological order. Put your most recent work, volunteer, or internship experience at the top your experience section, and then list previous experiences below this. Do the same for your education section.[5]
    • This format will allow the HR recruiter or hiring manager to quickly get a sense of your educational and work background.
    • For example, if you’ve volunteered with Peace Corps for the 2 past years and did volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity 3 years ago, put your Peace Corp experience on top.

Adding Content to Your Resume

  1. List your degrees, GPA, and other academic achievements. If you don’t have much work experience, highlight your educational accomplishments to help your resume stand out. If your GPA is around 3.3 or higher, put it right underneath your degree, along with any merit-based scholarships and/or awards you may have received during your school career.[6]
    • A GPA of around 3.3 is usually what students need to achieve to receive academic honors when they graduate.
    • Don’t include high school graduation information on your resume after your 2nd year of college.
    • If you haven’t graduated from college yet, put the date when you expect to receive your degree.
  2. Highlight the skills you developed as an intern and/or volunteer. List your experiences as an intern and/or volunteer underneath your education. Review the description of the job to which you’re applying. Then, pick out 3-5 of the major skills required for the position, and explain how you developed these skills in short descriptions of your experiences.[7]
    • If, for example, the organization is looking for someone who “can work independently with minimal supervision,” describe in detail a project that you completed while working with minimal supervision.
    • Customize these descriptions for each job position to which you apply.
  3. Use bullet points to list your accomplishments. Using bullet points will make it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to immediately see what you accomplished during your time at school, internships, and volunteer organizations as they skim your resume.[8]
    • Try looking at as many resumes as you can and see what format best grabs your attention. Then model your resume on that example.
  4. Make a skills section to display your mastery of software, languages, etc. Look over the description of the position to which you’re applying. Take note of any computer programs, languages, or other specific skills the company is looking for in a candidate. Put any of these skills that you have at the top of your skills section. Then follow this up with any skills you possess that you believe will set you apart from other applicants.[9]
    • If you’ve been certified for any of the skills you list, include this information as well.
    • If you’re applying for an entry-level analyst position at a major retailer with offices and stores around the world, for example, the ability to speak 3 languages fluently may set you apart from other applicants.
  5. Tailor your resume for each job.[10] When applying to a job, look over the description of the role closely and make a note of specific keywords and skills. Edit the descriptions of your internship and volunteer experiences to most closely match what the company is looking for.[11]
    • If, for example, the organization is looking for someone who can “perform qualitative research,” try to include that exact phrase somewhere in your resume.
    • Delete any experiences that aren’t relevant to the position for which you’re applying.
  6. Proofread your resume closely to find and correct errors. Once you’ve written the first draft of your resume, print it out and read it out loud to find typos you may have missed when editing it on your computer. Then, have a friend or family member read it over to catch any mistakes you may have overlooked.[12]
    • After writing and revising your resume, put it aside for a couple days and then return to it with a fresh pair of eyes.

References

  1. ↑ https://medium.com/@DianaUrban/10-tips-for-writing-entry-level-resumes-e287ce88c3c3
  2. ↑ https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/17/the-7-ingredients-of-a-well-written-entry-level-resume
  3. ↑ https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/17/the-7-ingredients-of-a-well-written-entry-level-resume
  4. ↑ https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/17/the-7-ingredients-of-a-well-written-entry-level-resume
  5. ↑ https://medium.com/@DianaUrban/10-tips-for-writing-entry-level-resumes-e287ce88c3c3
  6. ↑ https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/17/the-7-ingredients-of-a-well-written-entry-level-resume
  7. ↑ https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/17/the-7-ingredients-of-a-well-written-entry-level-resume
  8. ↑ https://medium.com/@DianaUrban/10-tips-for-writing-entry-level-resumes-e287ce88c3c3
  9. ↑ https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/17/the-7-ingredients-of-a-well-written-entry-level-resume
  10. ↑ [v161448_b01]. 25 June 2020.
  11. ↑ https://medium.com/@DianaUrban/10-tips-for-writing-entry-level-resumes-e287ce88c3c3
  12. ↑ https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/17/the-7-ingredients-of-a-well-written-entry-level-resume
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