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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Creating a Resume - Step by Step Instructions

Creating a resume is an important step in finding your next job. These step by step instructions should allow you to get your resume looking good in no time.

The first thing you should do is create your resume in a Microsoft Word Document. This is a universal program and is one that converts easily in case you have to copy it to any job sites. Many job sites on the internet ask you to copy your resume into their system when applying for jobs, so simpler is better. You can make adjustments after copying your information into their program.

Create a New Microsoft document. Use easy to read fonts such as times new roman, arial, or verdana. The font size should be 12 pt. You can use 14 pt. for headings and make them bold. Your margins should be one inch on each side. You can adjust them accordingly if you need certain text to fit on the page and not roll to the next page. Try to keep your resume to a maximum of two pages. Don't use indents because they do not convert well.

The first thing on your resume should be your contact information. Include your name, address, phone number, and email. Center your information at the top of the document but do not type "Contact Information" as it is obvious.

Next, if you wish to add a job objective, add it here. Type Objective. On the next line, write a job objective that tells the recruiter what type of job you are seeking. This was pretty much a standard item in the past, but it is not as important in the current job market.

A Career Summary is helpful to a recruiter that has many resumes to sort through. Try to summarize all the important points of your job career into this paragraph and show how your talents would be a perfect fit for the desired position.

Next, list your accomplishments from previous jobs that would be a benefit for the advertised position. Type Accomplishments. Then on the next line, type in your accomplishments.

The next step is to list all your past and current employment. Type Employment History and list your jobs under that heading. The recruiters want to see the name of the company, the location, and the dates of employment. If there is a gap in employment, explain it here or on your cover letter.

Add your Education next. Type in the name of the education center, the years you attended, and specify whether you received a degree or certificate. Even if you did not complete the program, add as much education as you can.

Finally, add any Skills you have. Whether you learned them on a previous job or through a training program. The more skills you have, the better. Make sure you also add skills that the job description is asking for, if you have them.

Print a rough draft of your document and proofread it. Make sure it does not contain any errors. You want it to look as professional as possible.

Once you have corrected and made changes to your document, save your file so you can easily find it on your computer. Save another copy as a PDF file so when you send your resume through email, it is in a read-only format.

You should also add a cover letter. The letter would include the position you are applying for, how your talents would benefit the company if they hired you, and provide the easiest way to contact you.

There are many resume and cover letter samples available on the internet if you need to look for more ideas or want to be more creative. Just type in resume or cover letter samples in the search engine.

If you will be printing and mailing out your resume and cover letters, buy some good quality paper. It should be at least 24 lb. and get some good quality envelopes.

On a final note, keep your resume updated even if you are not looking for a job. You never know when a good opportunity will come about and you want to be ready at any given time.

The author of this article offers proofreading and light copy-editing services at http://www.basicproofreadingservices.com/. Her services include checking spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and consistent style.


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