How To Write Your Resume In 5 Simple Steps

How to write a resume in 5 steps

When applying for jobs, it is essential to have your resume ready as it is always a requirement. A resume or CV (curriculum vitae ) is simply a summary of your professional experience. It covers your educational background, skills, and other qualifications you have. 

However, it is vital to note that each job you apply for may require you to update your resume. For tips on how to do this just click here.

Knowing how to write your resume from scratch can be very useful and when preparing one. So today we will be looking at how you can do it in 5 steps. 

1. Template VS No template

Welcome to one of the most debated topics when it comes to CV and resumes writing. If you decide to google this question, you will find all kinds of arguments on both sides of the discussion. 

Various people say using a template will make you look lazy and tell the hiring manager you love using shortcuts which is not a good look. On the other side of the argument, you will find people saying it does not matter as long as your resume communicates what it’s supposed to.

So let us settle this, or we will attempt to resolve this argument. When writing a resume or CV the purpose is always to communicate your professional skills, qualifications, and interests in the fastest and most effective way possible. The people in HR and recruiters, in general, are hired to look at CVs and decide based on your resume if you are qualified for the position.

Bottom line

Having said that; how your CV looks does matter in terms of how you structure it. But more on that later. The bottom line is whether you choose to write your CV from scratch or use a template, it is advisable to ensure your resume communicates to recruiters who you are as a professional and why you are qualified. If it doesn’t do that, then you can forget about it.

So how do you make sure your resume communicates effectively to your potential employers? 

Well, you can start by asking for CVs from your friends in the same industry as you who have jobs. Also, utilize google, and find free stock CVs of people who have posted theirs and then compare them. Look at the comments and then choose the best ones and begin crafting your CV. 

When using a template, ensure it is well organized. If it is possible to do so, check the reviews, then decide on the best one for you and use it. 

2.Decide on the format and style you will use 

Did you know there are 3 types of formats you can use to write your CV? Yes! That is correct! There are 3 formats you can use when you are writing your resume. Each one of them is used for different reasons and we will cover each one of them.

However, before we dive into the formats, let us cover some quick reminders on style. By style, we mean the font, the size of the font you are using, and how to arrange your points. When it comes to font, it is always advisable to use Times New Roman, but, Tahoma, Calibri, and Arial fonts are also acceptable. The font size to use is 10-12. 

Titles and headings should be bold and ensure you use similar editing for each of them. That means you cannot have the title of your skills in italics then have education, not in the same style. 

Arrange title font sizes from largest to smallest. This means you will have your name at the top of the document, which is the first title in large font. The next title, which is usually the summary will be in a smaller font size. Then the remaining titles will have a smaller font size and be uniform in size. That is usually the general rule.

Just try thinking of it as having a major heading then a subheading, and then the rest are just small titles keeping everything nice and neat.

Use bullet points

Before we jump into the 3 types of formats for writing your resume let’s talk about how you arrange your points in each section. When you are writing your resume you will have to include your education, experience, skills, and other qualifications. 

Now, if you have plenty of them relevant to the job you are applying for use bullet points to arrange your work. This makes it easier to read and it is neater that way. Remember resumes should be brief because recruiters don’t have a lot of time to go through all of them. Maintain it to one page or two at the maximum. A recruiter will take less than a minute to decide if they’ll read yours or not. So being organized gives you a higher chance of getting a recruiter to go through your CV.

3. Formats of CV/resume writing

Now let’s talk about these 3 formats. They are: i) Functional ii) Reverse-chronological iii) Hybrid 

Reverse-chronological

This format is designed to show your work experience. It will be listing your experience from the current job you have and work backward from there. This type of resume is for people who have been in the employment field for a while and have little to no working gaps. 

It also is recommended for those who have stayed within their field of work for a while. It also has other qualifications as part of the resume. However, the main emphasis with this type of resume is the experience of the applicant. 

Functional

A functional resume will emphasize your skills and qualifications. This resume format is perfect for recent graduates with little to no work experience. It is also good for people who have changed jobs a lot and have been operating in different fields. For this reason, this resume tends to start with the education and qualifications of the applicant and usually ends with work experience. 

Hybrid

This one seems rather obvious. A hybrid resume will balance both experience and skills of the applicant. It is perfect for anyone who has several skills and still has some years of experience in their profession. 

These three are the main types of resume formats used by applicants in the job market today. If you are going to use a template keep in mind these formats when choosing one.

4. Fill in relevant information 

Sometimes people forget to add meaningful information such as their contact information. When writing your CV, ensure that each section has relevant information that recruiters in your field will be looking for.

For example, if you are applying for accounting jobs, ensure you list the skills relevant to the ones listed in the job description. This will increase the chances of you getting called in for an interview.

5.Proofread

If you have ever texted someone and saw typos right after sending the message imagine the number of typos you may have made while writing a whole document! No matter how confident you are in your language skills or editing and resume writing skills, ensure you go through the whole resume once you are done writing it.

If you can do these five things, you will have a well-written resume that you can use to apply for jobs. We recently wrote an article that lists places you can find jobs, both online and offline. Click here to read more on that. We wish you the best as you apply for jobs.