It’s time to get started on your resume. But where do you even start?
Not to worry: We’ve got you covered.
Think of your resume as a way to communicate your value to your prospective employer. You want to show that you’re the right person for the job—and that you’re the best person for the job.
To do that, you’ll want to highlight your accomplishments, your skills, and your experience. And you’ll want to make sure your resume is formatted in a way that’s easy to read.
How to Write a Resume Objective
When you’re writing a resume objective, you’re trying to sell yourself to a prospective employer. You want to show them that you’re the best person for the job—and you want to get their attention so they’ll want to learn more.
So, what should a resume objective look like?
To start, you’ll want to focus on your strengths—and on what makes you stand out from the crowd. You could also list some of your accomplishments and skills—and explain how they’ll help you in the role.
Resume Rule: You don’t need an objective in your resume.
In fact, you don’t need to include an objective in your resume at all.
That’s because a resume objective is a way to pitch yourself to a prospective employer. And you want to be sure that employer is the one you’re pitching to.
You don’t want to send a resume to a potential employer and have them think they’re hiring one kind of person—when really, you’re not that person at all.
How to Include an Education Section
If you’ve got a college degree or two, you’ll need to include that on your resume.
In fact, you should always include your education on your resume.
But when it comes to including your education, you’ve got a couple of options: You can either include your college in your education section or you can include it on your work experience section.
The important thing is to include it somewhere.
How to Include Certifications
If you’ve got any certifications, you should definitely include those on your resume.
In fact, certifications are a great way to show a prospective employer that you’re qualified—and that you’re the right person for the job.
When you’ve got a certification to include, you’ll want to make sure you do it the right way.
To start, you’ll want to include the name of the certification and the name of the organization that issued it. Then, you’ll want to include the date you earned the certification.
Next, you’ll want to explain what the certification is—and what it means. For example, you could say that you earned a certification in X or that you’re a certified X.
Finally, you’ll want to explain how the certification helps you in the role. You could say something like, “I’m certified in X. My expertise in X means I’m the right person for the job.”
How to Include a Skills Section
If you have skills that are particularly relevant to the job you’re going for, you’ll want to include those on your resume.
That way, you can show a prospective employer that you’re qualified for the role—and that you’re a good fit for the company.
How to Include an Accomplishments Section
To be sure you’re a good fit for a job, you’ll want to include an accomplishments section on your resume.
In this section, you’ll want to highlight your biggest accomplishments—and make sure you explain how they’ll help you in the job you’re applying for.
How to Include a Skills List
If you’ve got a lot of skills, you might want to include a skills list on your resume.
A skills list can be a great way to show a prospective employer that you’re qualified—and that you’re a good fit for the company.
