7 Creating a Resume
What is a Resume?
A resume is a short document that summarizes your skills, experience, and education for a potential employer. It is a quick view of your qualifications and is often required when applying for a job. In this section, you’ll learn how to create an effective resume. This chapter will cover the essential sections of a resume, explore language and format, and do some activities to help you develop your own resume.
What is a Resume?
A resume is a formal document that outlines your work history, educational background, skills, and achievements. It’s usually a one- or two-page document designed to show employers how you can do well in a job when you are applying. A good resume helps employers quickly understand your background.
Structure and Content of a Resume
Resumes generally follow a common structure, though the order and emphasis of sections may vary depending on the industry or personal preference. The main sections of a resume are:
- Contact Information
- Summary/Objective
- Work Experience
- Education
- Skills
- Additional Sections (e.g., certifications, languages, volunteer work)
Let’s explore each section in detail.
Contact Information
This section is usually at the top of the resume and includes your:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Optional: LinkedIn profile or personal website (if relevant to the job)
| John Doe 555-123-4567 | john.doe@email.com | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johndoe |
Summary/Objective
The summary or objective is a brief statement that introduces who you are and what you’re looking for. A summary is typically used by experienced professionals, while an objective is more common for those new to the workforce.
Example Summary:
| Marketing professional with 5 years of experience in social media management, content creation, and market analysis. Seeking a position where I can leverage my skills to drive customer engagement and growth. |
Example Objective:
| Recent marketing graduate seeking an entry-level position to apply my skills in social media and content creation to help a dynamic team achieve its goals. |
Work Experience
This section lists your previous jobs or internships, typically in reverse chronological order (most recent first). For each position, include:
- Job title
- Company name
- Dates of employment
- Description of responsibilities and achievements (using bullet points)
| Social Media Coordinator ABC Marketing Agency June 2020 – August 2023 – Managed social media accounts, increasing engagement by 40% – Developed and executed marketing campaigns – Collaborated with the design team to create engaging visuals |
Education
In the education section, you list your academic background, including:
- Degrees and certificates completed
- School names
- Graduation dates
- Relevant coursework or honors and awards (optional)
| Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing XYZ University Graduated: May 2020 – Relevant coursework: Digital Marketing, Market Research, Business Communication |
Skills
The skills section outlines your relevant skills for the job. Include technical skills (e.g., software proficiency) and soft skills (e.g., communication, teamwork). Use bullet points to list your skills.
| – Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite – Strong communication skills – Experience with data analysis and reporting |
Additional Sections
You can add additional sections to your resume to highlight other relevant experiences, such as additional certifications, languages, volunteer work, or hobbies. Only include sections that add value to your application.
| Certifications: – Google Analytics Certified Languages: – Fluent in Spanish |
Tips for Writing a Strong Resume
- Be concise: Keep your resume to one or two pages. Use bullet points to make it easy to read.
- Use action verbs: Start your bullet points with action verbs like “managed,” “created,” or “developed.”
- Tailor your resume: Customize your resume for each job application. Highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the job description.
- Use consistent formatting: Maintain a consistent format throughout your resume. Use the same font and style for headings and bullet points.
- Proofread: Check for spelling and grammar errors. Ask someone else to review your resume for feedback.
Activities
These activities will help you practice creating and refining your resume.
Activity 1: Identifying Key Sections
Look at the following resume and identify the main sections (contact information, summary/objective, work experience, education, skills, additional sections). Discuss with a partner why each section is important and how it makes the resume stronger.
|
Jane Doe Objective Education
Work Experience
Nursing Assistant (Internship)
Certifications
Skills
|
Activity 2: Creating Your Resume
Using the order below, create your own resume. Include the following sections:
|
[Your Name]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
[Optional: LinkedIn Profile or Personal Website]
[Summary or Objective]
[Work Experience]
– [Job Title, Company Name, Dates of Employment, Description of Responsibilities and Achievements]
[Education]
– [Degree, Institution Name, Graduation Date, Relevant Coursework]
[Skills]
– [List of Skills]
|
Activity 3: Peer Review and Feedback
Write a draft of your resume using the template. Exchange your resume with a classmate and give feedback on the following:
- Are all the sections included and complete?
- Are the bullet points clear and concise?
- Are the verbs and other vocabulary words strong and specific?
- Does the resume look clean and professional?
- Are there any spelling or grammar errors?
After receiving feedback, revise your resume to improve its structure, content, and language.
