HOW

TO
MAKE
RESUM
E YFORMAT
2 1 st CENTUR
For most Job-Seekers, a Good Resume is what
stands between a Dream Job and Choice Job.
Get your Resume RIGHT, and you’ll be getting
replies from every other company you apply to.
If your resume game is weak, though, you’ll
end up sitting around for weeks, maybe even
months, before you even get a single
response.
So you’re probably wondering how you can
write a resume that leads to HR managers
inviting you to interviews daily.
How to Make a RESUME - Step by Step
•Pick the Right Resume Format & Layout
•Mention Your Personal Details & Contact
Information
•Use a Resume Summary or Objective
•List Your Work Experience & Achievements
•Mention Your Top Soft & Hard Skills
•Include Additional Resume Sections - Languages,
Hobbies, etc.
•Tailor Your Information For the Job Ad
•Craft a Convincing Cover Letter
•Proofread Your Resume and Cover Letter
How to Make a Resume (The Right Way!)

Before you even start working on your

resume, you need to decide how you’re
going to build it.

With a basic text editor resume, you’ll need

to spend hours playing with the formatting.
You make a minor change and BAM!
ow to Pick the Right Resume Format?

There are three types of

resume formats: reverse C
hronological, Functional or skills-
based, and a Combination of the
two.
The choice depends on the type of job
you are applying for and your level of
experience.
ow to Pick the Right Resume Format?
The 3 resume formats are:
1) Reverse chronological resume format - This is the
most popular resume format and is ideal for people with
plenty of work experience that is relevant to the position
they’re interested in.
2) Functional/skills-based resume format – If you
lack relevant work experience because you are a student
/recent graduate
, or you are looking to make a career change, the skills-
based format is a better choice.
3) Combination resume format – The combination
resume is a great choice for job-seekers with a very
diverse skill-set. It’s useful if you’re applying for a role
that requires expertise in 3-4 different fields, and you
want to show all that in your resume. Say, for example,
What is the Best Resume Layout?
The first thing a job recruiter notices
about any resume is the Layout.

Does it look Organized or Cluttered? Is

it too short or too long? Is it boring
and easy to ignore, or does it scream
out “Read me!”?

Here are some of the best practices when

it comes to your resume layout:
Resume Layout Must-Have
1. One page in length. You should only go for 2 pages if you
really, really believe that it’ll add significant value. HR
managers in big firms get around 1,000+ resumes per month.
They’re not going to spend their valuable time reading your
life story!
2. Clear section headings. Pick a heading (H2, for example)
and use it for all the section headers.
3. Ample white-space, especially around the margins.
4. Easy-to-read font. We’d recommend sticking to what
stands out, but not too much. Do: Ubuntu, Roboto, Overpass,
etc. Don’t (ever): Comic Sans
5. Pick the right font size. As a rule of thumb, go for 11 -
12 pt. for normal text, and 14 - 16 pt. for section titles.
6. As a rule of thumb, save your resume as PDF. Word is a
popular alternative, but it has a good chance of messing up
your resume formatting.
One more thing you need to
consider in terms of resume layout
is whether you’re going for a
traditional-looking
free resume template or
something a bit more modern:
If you’re pursuing a career in a more
traditional industry - legal, banking,
finance, etc. - you might want to stick to
the first.
If you’re applying to a tech company,
though, where imagination and
innovation are valued, you can go for
something more creative.
Now that you’ve got the
basics out of the way, let’s
dive into the essentials of
how to write a resume.
Resume Content - What to Mention on Your Resume
The most popular sections for a resume
are:

•Contact Information
•Professional Resume Summary or
Objective
•Work Experience (and Achievements)
•Education
•Skills
•Optional Sections - Languages,
Publications, Hobbies, etc.
Contact Information to be Included in a Resume

Must-have Information:
First Name / Last Name.
Phone Number.
Email Address.
Location - are you located in the area, or will
the company have to sponsor relocation?
Contact Information: Optional Information
•Title - Your professional title. It can be your
position, word-for-word, or your desired job. Think
“Digital Marketing Specialist” or “Junior Data
Scientist.”
•LinkedIn URL - If you have an up-to-date profile
that can add value to your application, make sure to
include the link.
•Social Media - Do you have a published portfolio
online? For developers, it could be your personal
blog.
•Website / Blog - Do you have an online presence?
Maybe a blog that positions you as an expert in your
field? If you do, make sure to mention it!
What NOT to Include in the Contact Info Section
Date of Birth (unless specifically required in the job ad) -
The HR manager doesn’t need to know how old you are.
It’s not important for their decision-making, and at
worst, it might lead to discrimination based on age.
Unprofessional Email Address - Do:
[email protected] Don’t:
[email protected]
Headshot - The HR manager doesn’t need to know what
you look like in order to evaluate your application, so
there’s no real need to include it.
Contact Information: EXAMPLE:

JULIUS I N. [email protected]
09991696276
SABIO Lpt. Sta. Elena, Buhl, Cam. Sur
SHS TEACHER Linkedin.com/in/Sabio.JuliusIN
It’s not a secret for anyone that first
impressions matter, whether they’re in
your personal life, or your career.
If you leave a bad first impression,
chances are, it’s there to stay. After all, it’s
very hard to change someone’s opinion of
you.
The same applies to your job search
Resume Summary or Objective
The HR manager spends around 6 seconds scanning
each resume. Your carefully-worded, hand-crafted
resume only gets 6 seconds of attention. Unless, of
course, you manage to leave an amazing first
impression.
The way you accomplish this is through either a
good resume summary or objective. Both are placed
at the top of your resume, right around the contact
information section:
What’s a Resume Summary & When to Use it

A resume summary is a 2-3 sentence

summary of your career. You should use a
resume summary in basically any situation,
unless you’re a recent university graduate or
switching careers (in that case, you use a
resume objective. More on that later!).
In your resume summary, you need to mention:
Your job and years of experience. E.g.: Customer
support representative with 5+ years of
experience in the IT industry.
1 or 2 top achievements (or core
responsibilities). E.g.: Specialized in technical
support, customer care, and user retention.
Desired goal (generally, passion for working at a
specific company). E.g.: Looking for new
opportunities as a support lead for a SaaS
company.
What’s a Resume Objective & When to Use it

A resume objective is, in a nutshell, the goal of your

resume. It communicates your motivation for getting
into a new field. As with a resume summary, a
resume objective should be around 2-3 sentences.

As I’ve mentioned before, a resume objective is the

go-to for anyone that either has no work experience
or is going through a career change.
Formula to Create Your Resume Objective:

(1) [SKILL/EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION RELEVANT TO

THE JOB WITH JOB TITLE].
Looking to apply my (2) [years/months
of EXPERIENCE RELEVANT TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION]
at [COMPANY YOU ARE APPLYING TO]
to help (3) [TYPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES YOU WILL
HELP OUT WITH SUCCESSFULLY].
Examples of Resume Objectives
1) Here’s how that would look like if you’re a
student:
“Hard-working recent graduate with a B.A. in
Graphic Design from Bicol State University seeking
new opportunities. 3+ years of practical experience
working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop,
creating illustrations & designing UX / UI. Looking to
grow as a designer, as well as perfect my art, at the
ABC Design Studio.”
Examples of Resume Objectives
2) Or, on the other hand, if you’re going through a
career change:
“IT project manager with 5+ years of experience in
software development. Managed a team of
developers to create products for several industries,
such as FinTech and HR tech. Looking to leverage my
experience in managing outsourced products as a
Product Owner at ABC.”
Work Experience

The most important part of your

resume is your work experience.
This is where you really sell yourself,
displaying your past
accomplishments and responsibilities.
How to List Work Experience in a Resume
The standard format for your work experience is as follows:
Job Title/Position - Your job title goes on top of each work experience entry. When the HR
manager scans your resume, you want them to know, at a glance, that you have relevant work
experience for the job.
Company Name / Location / Description - Then, you mention the name of the relevant
employer, as well as the location of the office you work/have worked in. In some cases, you
may also want to briefly describe the company, if the organization is not a famous household
name.
Achievements and Responsibilities - This is the core of each work experience entry.
Depending on your field, you want to list either your achievements or responsibilities. We’ll
get more into the how’s and why's of this in a bit.
Dates Employed - The timeframe of your employment in each company. Not sure about the
exact dates you worked somewhere? Don’t worry - you don’t have to be accurate by the day,
as long as it’s close. The standard format expected by recruiters and employers
is mm/yyyy (this is especially important when your job application will be parsed by an
Applicant Tracking System).
Tailor Your Resume to the Job
Did you know that over 70% of resumes submitted to job boards are never
read?

Yep, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) keep your resume from being read
by HR. An ATS (for resume) is software that helps companies filter through
hundreds of resumes they receive per day.
Well, don’t worry - getting past the Application Tracking System is not hard,
as long as you know how to do it.

The key here is to tailor your resume to each job you apply. To do this, you
need to mention the right keywords from the job ad in your resume.
How much work experience do you include in your resume?

If you’ve got over a decade’s worth of work experience, you’re

probably confused about how much of it you mention in your
resume. After all, If you had to list everything you’ve ever
done, you’d end up writing a mini-novella.

Or, on the other hand, if you’re a newcomer to the job

market, you probably don’t have ANY experience and are
wondering what could you even mention.
How much work experience do you include in your resume?

Here’s how much information you’d mention in your resume depending on

your level of experience:
Job hunters with no experience - If you don’t have any experience, it might
be a bit hard to fill in your work experience section. You can either keep it
empty and focus on all the other sections, or fill it up with work experience
in student organizations, non-profits, etc.
Entry-level candidates - List all the work you’ve done up to now.
Mid-level professionals - ONLY mention work experience relevant to the
position you’re applying for.
Senior professionals - List up to 15 years of relevant work experience MAX.
If your recent experience is as a CEO, no one cares about how you started
your career as a cashier in your teenage years.
How to List Education on Your Resume
The next section we’re going to cover is your Education. Let’s start with
the basics - how to format the education section & what to mention
there. Then, we’ll move on to tips & tricks that’ll help you stand out…
Program Name. E.g.: “B.A. in Business Administration”
University Name. E.g.: “New York State University”
Years Attended. E.g.: “08/2008 - 06/2012”
(Optional) GPA. E.g.: “3.9 GPA”
(Optional) Honors. E.g.: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum
Laude.
(Optional) Academic achievements. Any interesting papers you’ve
written, courses you’ve excelled in, etc.
(Optional) Minor. “Minor in Psychology”
Tips on perfecting your education section:

•If you don’t have any work experience, mention

your education section first.
•Mention your latest educational entry on top.
•If you have a university degree, don’t mention your
high school at all.
•ONLY mention GPA if you had a very impressive
academic career (3.5 GPA plus).
Skills Section
Another must-have section in your resume is the “Skills” section. Here,
you want to mention all your know-how that makes you the perfect
candidate for the job.
There are 2 types of skills you can include when writing your resume:
Hard Skills (Measurable abilities). This can be anything from coding in
Python to knowing how to cook Thai cuisine.
Soft Skills (Personal skills). These are a mix of social skills,
communication skills, personal traits, career attributes, and so on.
Leadership, critical thinking, management, and communication, just to
name a few.
A good resume should cover both.
How to List Skills in Your Resume
When mentioning skills in your resume, there are 3 essential steps to follow:
Step #1 - List Hard Skills with Experience Levels. For each hard skill you list,
you want to mention your proficiency level:
Beginner - You have some experience with the skill, whether it’s from some
entry-level practice or classroom education.
Intermediate - You’ve used the skill in a work environment with a good level
of understanding.
Advanced - You’re the go-to person for the skill in your office. You can coach
other employees, and understand the skill on a high level.
Expert - You’ve applied this skill in more than a handful of different projects &
organizations. You’re the go-to person for advice about the skill, not just in
your office, but even amongst some of the best professionals in your field.
How to List Skills in Your Resume
Make sure to NEVER lie about your skill levels.
Otherwise, it’s going to be pretty awkward both
for you and your employer.
How to List Skills in Your Resume
Step #2 - Tailor Your Skills to the Job. You might have some
super rare, awesome skills, but they’re not always going to be
useful.

Take a look at the job ad and list 2-3 essential skills required for
the job.
How to List Skills in Your Resume
As you can see, the must-have skills here are Photoshop, InDesign,
Illustrator, Keynote and Pages. A good-to-have is WordPress. You can
also mention Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, but it’s pretty
much assumed that you know how to use them, as they’re required for
most office jobs.

If you’re qualified, make sure to mention all relevant skills with

respective proficiency levels in your “Skills” section.
How to List Skills in Your Resume
Step #3 - Include Some Universal Skills - “Universal Skills” are
the type of skills useful for almost any job out there. These are
both soft skills (leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, etc.)
and hard skills (Excel, Powerpoint, Photoshop, writing, etc.).
Whatever job you’re applying to, chances are, these skills will
in one way or another come in handy, so feel free to include
them, even if they’re not specifically required for the position.
https://novoresume.com/career-blog/how-to-write-a-resume-
guide

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/jobs-for-
high-school-graduates