Writing Lessons & Advice: Resumes

One small task in my full-time job is to review resumes. I do so to make sure potential training staff meet the state’s criteria for their position. Simply put, this is from where the inspiration for this lesson comes. I look over many well-done resumes and I may be a little geeky to admire the variety in their arrangements. A decent resume is a helpful tool in one’s professional career/life, so here’s a little more about what it is and how to write one.

What it is

A resume is a brief presentation or documentation of a person’s background with regard to potential employment. It typically reflects one's work experience, education, and any applicable skills, certifications, or accomplishments. It is one of the first items, alongside an application and/or cover letter, the hiring entity will see and use to determine if candidates are a good fit for the position or opportunity in question.

Some places may spell it résumé, resumé, or call it a curriculum vitae or CV.

A written/typed version of a resume is the most traditional format, but the digital age makes their creation and submission fairly easy. Most word processors have resume templates that format the fine details for you or websites and services have programs where you just input your information. Additionally, they may be automatically submitted to a job network, or requested as electronic submissions in other ways, like as an uploaded attachment or via email.

How to write one

If you are new to writing your resume, your first step will be to select a template, platform, or service to work with. Again, you can find templates on most word processors (like Microsoft Word or Google Workspace). If overwhelmed by the options, just select one that’s simple and text-based. Indeed and Linkedin.com are a couple other good sites where you can build your resume as well. They may even give an option to download the final draft so you have your own copy.

Once you pick a template, platform, or service you like, start adding your name and information or answering the questions it gives. Just focus on what you can fill out; don’t sweat it if you don’t happen to have certifications, licenses, awards, honors, or anything. At best, skip or delete them if they don’t apply to you.

When it comes to listing your work and academic experiences, dedicate a few bullet points to noting your responsibilities or achievements. Your background will stand out better and sound more meaningful by including resume buzzwords and avoiding cliches where appropriate. (As always, good word choices are a basic ingredient vital in most writing). Try to tailor your entries to correlate with the description of the job opening. Also, make sure your listings are in logical order--reverse chronological is a pretty common way to arrange them.

Finally, proofread as necessary and finalize your work. Save it, download it, upload it, submit it, whatever gets it to the next step. Additionally, you might also keep tabs on this project as it will likely change and grow with your pursuits. Keep your resume up-to-date so its one less thing to prepare when its needed. Also, in instances that do not require a resume submission, it can still serve as your own reference if you need to recall details like previous dates or places of employment/experience.

If perchance you're still in school or not old enough to be in the professional workforce yet, keep this lesson and resources in mind for when you are to that point. In the meantime, you can do a lot to become a valuable person in the workforce and by extension have an awesome resume. You might: Improve your grades or keep them up, practice for ACTs/SATs/entrance exams, participate in extracurriculars (or lead some if that's a possibility), involve with volunteer work, internships, or job shadowings, take on part-time employment if you can, develop your hobbies, build your skills, and challenge yourself.

Hopefully you learned a little more about crafting a resume and feel encouraged to polish or prepare yours!

If there's a topic you want me to cover in the future, you're welcome to reach out to me on the web chat feature or socials!