4 Tips for Writing a Great Resume

Looking for a new career can be stressful, especially if you fear your resume isn’t up to par. Whether you are new to the job field or a seasoned worker, you need to be able to craft a great resume. If you would like to learn more, check out these four tips.

1. Choose the Right Type of Resume

There are multiple types of resumes from which you can choose, but the most common one is a chronological resume. This lists all of your work history in chronological order, typically starting with your most recent position. This is a great idea if you have a long work history, but it may not be a good idea if you are just starting your career or you are changing career fields.

If you are new to working or switching to a new field, you may want to choose a functional resume instead. This will focus on the skills and abilities you have rather than your work history. In some cases, a functional resume may not even list your work history.

Of course, you can easily combine a chronological resume and a functional resume into a combination resume. Other types of resumes include targeted resumes, non-traditional resumes, mini-resumes, resumes with a profile, and infographic resumes.

2. Market Yourself

Regardless of the job for which you are applying, when you create a resume, you become a salesperson. To really stand out above the other job applicants, you need to market yourself accordingly. One way to do this is with quantifiable achievements. Quantifiable achievements are easily measured and usually include numbers.

• For Business Development Representatives – Articulate Key Performance Metrics (KPIs) or other goals you were held accountable for.
• For Account Executive or any Quota-Carrying Sales Role – Articulate your activity as well as your sales achievements, percentage to quota and/or account growth and retention.
• For Sales Leadership – Articulate the size and overall performance of your team, growth achieved and any other leading metrics you were held accountable for (such as forecast accuracy).

Also, make sure to explain why your achievements and experiences are valuable. For example, if you work in the customer success division of a technology company, your job is not only to help customers with issues, but also help retain customers and drive sales. On the other hand, someone with poor customer service or a bad attitude may send customers away. Therefore, instead of just telling the employer you have customer success experience, show them that your customer success experience will or has benefited the company’s bottom line.

Another way to market yourself is to include your LinkedIn profile link at the top with your contact information. Having easy access to your LinkedIn, not only allows potential employees to see additional skills and recommendations and if you have any common connection, but most importantly showcases what types of companies you have worked for in the past. If you are coming from a smaller start-up environment or moving to a new industry, your potential interviewer may not be familiar with the organization and this is a quick way for them to do research.

3. Keep it Short and Relevant

When applying for a job you really want, you may be tempted to spend ten pages telling the employer why you are the perfect fit. However, a long resume can be annoying, and many employers won’t even bother reading through it. Depending on the position you plan to apply for, you might not want your resume to go over one or two pages.

Instead of length, you should focus on the content you include. Instead of a bullet point for every skill you ever learned, highlight your achievements and successes that are relevant to the position. If you have a long work history, only include the past 15 years or focus on relevant work history.

4. Choose Your Words Carefully