How to Fashion your Resume
Take care when fashioning your résumé or curriculum vitae. There is a certain freedom that you have when creating yourself on paper. Pay close attention to the larger details as well as the smaller ones regarding formatting, sectioning, grammar and spelling in your document. The question you want to answer is, “How do I want to market myself?”.
A good résumé will make your experiences catch the eye of the average reader. Formatting, sectioning, and grammar are as important as your appearance during an interview, or a properly checked cover letter. Résumés are all encompassing documents and Wikipedia states: “Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment.” It is an obvious statement that can be easily overlooked. Your résumé is the first work sample that a would-be future employer receives from you, so take care to do a great job.
Choosing the right format is a sensible place to begin when constructing your document. The document must look good despite your content and good intentions. Dressing appropriately and being well-groomed are standard protocol before a job interview. You should treat your resume with the same level of consideration. Select a neat-looking format with concise margins, good spacing, and an appropriate header, body, as well as footer. Your résumé should look like a résumé.
Include appropriate résumé sections throughout the document to support this line of thinking. The titles of sections can be debated, and apply only sections that are necessary. For instance, it makes sense to include an “Education” section, but not an “Honest Man” section. You can replace sections like Education for Academic as long as it makes sense to you or someone else, namely your would-be employer. Also, include the right quantity of sections. It is always applicable to have Education and Career sections included in your body, so you know that you need at least two sections on your résumé. Do not include irrelevant sections that have no bearing on the position for which you applied.
Grammar and spelling are key concerns when building your document. Nothing is more noticeable than improper usage of grammar or misspelled words. Use free online resources to check your grammar content and for critiquing your résumé. A document that is riddled with errors will not be taken seriously – no matter the content or format. It says that you are not “detail-oriented” like the assertion in your document.
Résumés have a header, body, and footer. The header should contain basic information such as your full name, home address, main telephone number, and email. Separate the header from your body sections using spaces or borders. Make a unique but professional looking header to stand out from the crowd. The body of your text should contain any pertinent sections discussed earlier and is where the work is done. Use the body to highlight career achievements with supporting details. Validate your achievements with facts and figures, like sales information or percentages. Do not use jobs that are unrelated or out of touch with the job description. The footer usually contains a page number and your full name, but is only needed if you have more than one page. Although, some people use footers for name, address, number, etc.
In closing, constructing your résumé or curriculum vitae takes diligence and and no small amount of passion. Do not take your résumé or CV for granted and you are more likely to benefit from your efforts. Organize your thoughts, constantly critique yourself, and refine your document until you receive consistent responses from managers. Your chances for success will greatly increase with a properly evaluated document.
