How Do I Write a Resume Text

Jonathan Friesen - Writing Coach

get the doyle report sign up for the best job search and career tips and advice from alison, delivered straight to your inbox. connect with alison for more help and advice, visit the about job search facebook page and connect with me: media inquiries your resume is your most important tool when applying for a job. It doesn 39 t matter how qualified you are, or how much experience you have if your resume is poorly presented or badly written, you 39 re going to have trouble getting the job you want or even an interview. The information on this page offers some tips and advice on how to make your resume the best it can be. It needs to demonstrate: that you are employable how you meet the job and the organisation 39 s requirements that you have the right qualifications and education that you have the right experience and skills that you have the right level of professionalism for the job there is no set length for a resume. If you haven 39 t worked much before, one or two pages is best, but three pages is okay if you 39 ve got a lot of study and work behind you.

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If your resume is only one page, as long as it 39 s well presented it might get better results than a two page resume full of unnecessary information. More information about the length of your resume can be found on each of the resume templates on our sample resumes and cover letters page. Generally it 39 s always good to present the information on your resume in this order:

    contact details opening statement list of key skills list of technical/software skills personal attributes/career overview educational qualifications employment history/volunteering/work placements references/referees
not everything in this list must appear on your resume every time, and the order can change from application to application. For more information about each of these sections, check out what your resume should include.

For example, if your education history is not specifically related to the job, put it toward the end of your resume, behind the information that is related to the job. Check out the resume templates on our sample resumes and cover letters page for examples of how you might want to order the information on your resume. You need to tailor your resume to every job application so that it responds to the specific requirements of the job you 39 re applying for. You might not need to change much, but you do need to make sure your opening statement, your key skills and your personal attributes all respond to the needs of the role, based on the job ad if there was one and the research you 39 ve done into the job.

You should also tailor your resume to show how your work experience specifically meets the needs of the job you 39 re applying for. Check out the resume templates on our sample resumes and cover letters page to get an idea of what each of these sections should look like. Make sure you include your name, email address and a contact phone number on your resume. You don 39 t have to include your home address, although there might be some situations when doing so would be a good idea.

Recruitment software sometimes has difficulty reading information in headers or footers, so it 39 s a good idea to avoid headers altogether. You can put your contact details in the footer of your resume, but if you do, you must make sure they 39 re also in the main body of the document. An opening statement is a summary of who you are, where you 39 ve studied and/or worked, and what you bring to the job. It should be about six lines long and written in first person without the personal reference i.e. Your opening statement should start with one sentence about who you are and what you bring to the job, then describe the skills and attributes you have that suit you to the job. For some examples of opening statements, check out our sample resumes and cover letters page. Your resume should include a list of between 10 and 15 skills that link your experience to the job you 39 re applying for.

If the job you 39 re applying for was advertised, either the ad or the position description may provide a list of skills and experiences that are essential for doing the job. Your list of key skills amp strengths needs to respond to all of the items on the essential list and as many items as possible on the desirable list. When putting together this list, think of things you 39 ve done or learned to do as part of: jobs you 39 ve had your studies any work placements you 39 ve done any volunteering you 39 ve done for examples of the kinds of skills you might list, check out our sample resumes and cover letters page.