how_to_write_a_resumeGuest Post by Mary Walton

A resume has to do a lot of things in a short space of time. It has to outline all your skills, detail your entire work history, and show that you’re the right person for the job at hand. With so many resumes making it to your potential employer, though, how do you make yourself stand out?

How to Write a Resume That Will Win You the Job

These ten tips will help you snag that dream job.

1. Pay attention to formatting

If a resume is hard to read, it’s going to go into the trash. Make sure your text isn’t too dense, and in an easy to read font. Also, make sure there isn’t too much white space, so it doesn’t take multiple pages to print out.

2. List your skills first

If you want their attention, you need to get to the meat of the matter quickly. Before going into detail on anything else, go into your skills or highlights of your career so far. The examples here will show you what kind of things to include.

3. Be brief

If a hirer is receiving hundreds of resumes for one position, they just don’t have time to read your life history. Be selective in what you include, and trim the fat from your resume.

4. Tell the truth

You may be a little worried about your relevant experience, so it can be tempting to lie about it. However, don’t! It’s easy to be caught, and you don’t want to lose out on a job because you decided to bend the truth.

5. Make sure you proofread

You can the perfect experience and skills, but if there’re errors in your spelling and grammar, your resume is getting tossed. Proofreading is essential. If you’re not confident of your own skills, professional custom writing services such as Boom Essays and EssayRoo can proofread and edit your resume for you.

6. Set yourself apart

Out of all the applicants, what makes you different? You have all the skills needed, but perhaps you have relevant hobbies or volunteering experience. Include these in your resume and you’ll stick in the hirer’s mind when it comes to interview time.

7. Include the right information

You’ve only got so much room to tell the hirer why you’re perfect, so make sure what you’re including is relevant. If one of your positions gave you the skills to do the job you’re applying for, focus on it in your highlights and skills section.

8. Customize your resume

Sending the same resume for every job application saves time, but won’t get you noticed. Edit your resume every time you send one out, to show how you’re the perfect fit.

9. Be careful about novelty resumes

You want to get noticed, and a novelty style resume seems like the best way to do so. However, carefully think before you send one. Some employers will welcome such creative thinking, but others will see it as trying too hard, or tacky. Do your research first.

10. Stick to an easy to read font

A good font is crucial. Helvetica, Tahoma, and Arial are examples of easy to read, clean fonts. Size it between 10-12 point to get the ideal reading size, too. See the Live Career examples to see how their font choice makes their resumes easy to read.

Now you have these tips under your belt, get out there and write a resume that makes you stand out as the clear winner for any position.

Guest Post

Mary WaltonMary Walton is a professional editor from Santa Monica. She studied in Australia and traveled the world. Loves writing and e-learning. Find her recent rumblings at educational blog Simple Grad. Follow Mary on Twitter and Linkedin!