Resume Writing 101

(MUSIC). Did, you know,

creating a personal brand is critical to any career development process

and crafting an impressive resume is one of its main components.

So what exactly is a resume?

It's a document that tells prospective employers exactly

what you want them to know about you

and why you would be a good fit for their open position.

In a sense,

it's a way for you to put your best foot forward,

a way to sell yourself on paper to a potential employer.

In order to sell yourself effectively,

I'm going to run through a checklist of what you should keep in mind.

Bear in mind everyone has a different opinion on what works,

but there are some overarching principles that

seem to work well in most industries.

First, let's talk about formatting.

You'll need to create the framework of your resume by creating effective headings.

These can be your education and experience type sections,

but could also include leadership, scholarships, or honors.

It really just depends on what you want to present to potential employers.

Once you know which sections you'll use,

you'll also want to consider putting the sections in an

order that best links your skills to an employer's opportunity.

It's also good to keep in mind some general formatting rules. You want to

have margins that are half an inch to one inch all the way around.

It's also good to choose just one or two fonts and

to keep the font at a 10- to 12-point size.

Once you've gotten the framework set, you'll start filling in the gaps.

Starting at the top,

you want to provide your name and your accurate contact information.

Some people also choose to include a link to their LinkedIn or other online profile.

I'd recommend this if your online presence is up

to date and helps to enhance your resume.

The next section of a resume is often a summary of skills or an objective statement.

This section can be really useful in providing context for the reader.

Why are you applying? Why are you the best fit?

You can use this section to paint that picture effectively

and give context for what's to come in subsequent sections.

After the summary of skills or objective statement,

you'll often see an education section or an experience section

depending on which is more relevant to the position.

If you've been in a degree program recently and honed in on new relevant skills,

you might lead with an education section.

If you've been working in the field for many years

and want to take a next step in the field,

you're already in

the experience section might make the most sense. In either case,

you'll want the experiences outlined to be in reverse chronological order,

highlighting your most recent education or experience first.

When you begin to work on your experience section,

be sure your bullet points include action verbs

and tenses that reflect past or ongoing work.

Try not to exceed 2 to 4 bullet points per position.

Though this of course varies depending on your length of tenure at a position.

Bullet points to demonstrate key skills

and major accomplishments using numbers and

percentages rather than routine tasks and duties after education and experience.

It's a good idea to add other sections to

flesh out one complete or two complete pages.

Often students will consider a section called relevant course work and

projects to draw out some meaningful work completed within the classroom.

If you're still looking for additional sections to complete your resume,

consider volunteer work,

honors, or extracurricular activities

placing special emphasis on any leadership roles you may have had.

Finally and perhaps most importantly,

your resume is the first impression you get to

make on someone who could possibly hire you.

So proof-free.

You're looking for consistency of formatting and error-free content.

Often, our worst enemy is having looked too long at our own work.

So, ask a friend or two to give your resume a once over.

Does it look complete, informative, professional, and pleasing to the eye?

Does it make a compelling case for your candidacy?

If so, you're ready to go.