I have looked at a bunch of resumes over the years hiring for different jobs. Here is some of my best advice for you.
Capitalize things that need to be capitalized. Like your first and last name. Your street name, city, and state. Names of places that you’ve worked.
Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Misspellings, grammar errors, and incorrect or inconsistent use of punctuation show that you aren’t detail oriented.
Match your resume to the job you’re applying for. Read carefully through the job description and find some keywords that you can include on your resume. If the job description says you need to use Microsoft Word, be sure to include Microsoft Word somewhere in your resume.
Keep it easy to read. Use a professional 12-point font. Use bullet points. Look for an easy to read template. Canva has some beautiful templates, Resume.com has an easy to use resume builder, Microsoft has many basic templates, and The Balance has a list of resources. Find a great resource? Let us know in the comments.
Include relevant coursework, volunteer work, and internships. If you don’t have a lot of related work experience, then beef your resume up with sections for relevant classes, volunteer work, and internship.
Don’t feel like you need to list every job you’ve ever had. If you have a lot of work experience, don’t feel like you need to include everything. Applying for an office job? You don’t need to include that summer you spent bartending four years ago, especially if you’ve had more relevant work since then.
Keep it to one page. You aren’t far enough along in your career to go past one page. If you find yourself going over, look for things you can trim. If you’re a college grad, you can leave off your high school diploma.
Visit your school’s career center. Even if you don’t think you need help, it’s always good to have a second set of eyes look at your resume.
