How to Write a Resume (That’s Good!) in 7 Easy Steps

How to Write a Resume (That’s Good!) in 7 Easy Steps

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Tip #1. Craft a compelling lead

The top of the page is valuable real estate for sharing your job candidate “story.” Back in the day, resumes had an objective statement just below the contact info that explained what type of job a candidate was seeking. But today, many hiring managers and recruiters expect to see a short, snappy paragraph that’s more like a profile. Think of 

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Tip #1. Craft a compelling lead

these important two or three sentences as your 30-second elevator pitch: They should quickly summarize your experience and training, and highlight your relevant skills for the role you’re seeking.

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Tip #2. Show your impact

The bulk of your resume should focus on your work experience. List your past jobs in chronological order, from most recent to oldest, and take a results-driven approach to describe your duties and accomplishments. That means including meaningful information about how you added value to a project or the company. To show how you 

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Tip #2. Show your impact

excelled in the position, use action verbs, give specific examples and add quantifiable results. Don’t simply say, “oversaw project management,” for instance. Instead, give a concise project description and highlight your specific role. For example: “Project manager for a six-person team responsible for launching a new product line on an aggressive timeline.”

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Tip #2. Show your impact

Also, include concrete numbers that show your impact. For instance, were you able to help the company reduce costs?  Did your work contribute directly to boosting the company’s sales growth? If you don’t have that kind of data, report the solutions your team delivered or other project outcomes. The goal is to explain how you made a difference.

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Tip #3. Include your soft skills

Remember that interpersonal skills are critical to your career success. Effective writing and verbal communication, critical thinking, time management, creativity, and problem-solving abilities are all highly prized today. It’s important to add them to your resume and cover letter. But don't just list these skills. Look for other ways to help 

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Tip #3. Include your soft skills

them come through in your job application.  If you take the time to write a resume and cover letter that are well-organized, free of grammatical and spelling errors (see tip #7) and tailored for the role you’re applying for, those documents will help showcase your writing skills. You can also frame your work history and accomplishments to 

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Tip #3. Include your soft skills

underscore abilities such as collaboration, adaptability and leadership. Other soft skills might be more difficult to demonstrate. Few of us can point to a TED talk or other online video or podcast to prove our verbal and presentation skills, for example. But we all have a LinkedIn profile. Ask a handful of your colleagues, former coworkers 

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Tip #3. Include your soft skills

or others in your professional network to write recommendations that include some mention of your creativity, leadership qualities and other attributes.

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Tip #4. Highlight your tech skills

Share your software skills and technical knowledge. As an example, job candidates for an administrative assistant position or similar role are expected to have Microsoft Office experience.  Savvy candidates would list their proficiency levels with each of the suite’s applications and any training or certification programs completed. Many 

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Tip #4. Highlight your tech skills

jobs will require more advanced tech skills. Using the job description as a guide, discuss your expertise with the software required for the role. Again, you should list relevant certifications and training. Even better, include mention of relevant software in your work history to demonstrate professional experience.

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Tip #5. Underscore your unique qualities and experience

This tip on how to write a resume is about highlighting talents relevant to the position or company.  Foreign language fluency, for example, could give you an edge in getting an interview if the employer has international operations. Your role as an organizer for a Meetup group related to your industry can show leadership skills.

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Tip #5. Underscore your unique qualities and experience

Whatever your passion, use your unique qualities and experiences to make yourself stand out. Many hiring managers like to gain a fuller picture of potential employees, so don’t be afraid to mention some outside interests. Just don’t go overboard by providing a laundry list of hobbies and personal pursuits. Always keep in mind that your resume is a professional document.

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Tip #6. Increase your edge by including keywords

Many companies scan resumes and cover letters for the keywords used in their job postings. Tailor your resume for every job description you reply to — and that means sprinkling the document with some of the specific language that each posting uses. For example, if an employer is seeking an applicant with experience “maintaining 

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Tip #6. Increase your edge by including keywords

executives’ calendars,” use that same wording in your resume instead of a more casual phrase like “keeping track of schedules.”

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Tip #7. Proofread your copy!

An employer sorting through a dozen or more resumes doesn’t need much reason to remove you from consideration.  Meticulously proofread your resume for spelling and grammatical goofs. In addition to running a spell-check, read your document aloud slowly so you can focus on each word. Finally, ask a friend to double-check your work. One simple 

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Tip #7. Proofread your copy!

typo can kill your chances of landing an interview.

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