Create a Killer Résumé on the Fly
While a resume may seem like an arbitrary piece of paper that often goes disregarded, it can be extremely powerful when well done.
You’ve only got one page to highlight why you’re the best fit for your potential employer so let’s talk about how to knock this out of the park.
Here I’m going to outline how you can craft an exceptional resume that’s customized for any industry and how to do this efficiently.
Starting with a blank page;
Let’s discuss the layout. Will design, creativity, or physical appeal be important to this employer (think marketing, retail, tech, etc.)?
Let’s discuss the layout. Will design, creativity, or physical appearance be important to this employer (think marketing, retail, tech, etc.)?
If yes, consider one of Canva’s Resume templates where you can choose from various options BUT keep it professional (neutral, light tones that keep the text readable).
If no (think engineering, finance, government, etc.), stick with your blank word document and format the majority of the page with the following sections in order; Profile, Experience, Education.
Then, use a margin to create a small section on either side of the page with the following sections in any order; Contact and Professional Skills. If applicable, you can add Certifications, Personal Skills, and Community Involvement.
No need to go overboard with sections. Remember, this must be well formatted and easy for anyone to skim in a minute or two.
Fill out your Profile section;
In three sentences or less, highlight which of your skills and experience make you the best fit for this job without saying “I’m the best fit for this job”. Use strong adjectives and verbs and emphasize what about this opportunity excites you. Remove any fluff words or phrases. The key is to be articulate but to the point. Quick note: the thesaurus is your friend.
Example; “Passionate about… Excited by… Demonstrated history of…”
Don’t get overwhelmed by trying to encompass all your successes in a tiny paragraph. Just think about what the potential employer would need to know.
Within Experience;
Now you’ll out your work history. Label each job with your title, the company name and the dates you were employed. Add the location (just city, state) if desired.
Under each job, use a maximum of four bullet points to explain the role (can be more for current role and fewer for older roles but be thoughtful of the visual component).
Start each bullet with a strong verb (Managed, Spearheaded, Advised) and use as few articles (like the) as possible. These do not need to be grammatically correct, full sentences. Formulate expressions that provide just enough information but aren’t too wordy.
Moving on to Education;
Add all relevant education starting with the most recent to the oldest.
This includes all universities or colleges or current status as a student. Consider if it’s relevant to add high school education (typically only if no additional education) but never add anything pre-high school.
You may list your degree(s), majors, minors and in some cases, it might be helpful to add specific courses you’ve completed if it’s outside the scope of the aforementioned items.
Be careful not to go overboard in this section as recruiters are typically skimming to know what the highest level of education completed is.
As for the sections in your margin;
Under Contact, list your phone number, email, current address, and your LinkedIn profile (if desired). This should be quickly accessible and clearly visible (best at the top of the section).
Professional Skills should only include pertinent hard skills for the role in which you’re applying. Make a brief list with verbs or adjectives.
Example;
Sales Strategist
Accounting
Public Speaking
If you so choose, you may add Personal Skills. These tend to be soft skills. Keep it brief and only list descriptors that are relevant to the role.
Example;
Communicative
Collaborative
Creative
Finally, if you’d like to highlight related interests outside of work, use the Community section.
At this point, adjust margins, font size, and paragraphs to make all sections fit nicely together in a way that maintains readability for all text. Edit your grammar. Take a step back and if all looks well, you’re all set!!
A few final tips:
- DON’T allow your résumé to extend beyond one full page.
- DO highlight everything in your background that makes you a great fit for the role.
- DON’T add a photo of yourself.
- DON’T forget to edit out any grammatical errors or formatting issues.
- DO add any appropriate statistics (ex: increased performance by X%).
- DON’T sell yourself short! Be confident in your skills and abilities.
Hopefully this took out all the stress and anxiety around creating a résumé when you’re in a time crunch. Now go ahead and submit it!
