To land that next job, you’ll more than likely have to submit a resume. HR departments get flooded with resumes whenever a job opening is posted, so having a resume ready will save you from having to rush around to make one. But, you want to custom tailor each resume you send out, since some experiences will be more important than others to different employers. While the basic structure of a resume is relatively standard, there are different things you can do to stand out. Here are three sample resume examples you can base your own off of:
Regardless of how you do your resume, you want it on good rag bond paper. At the top, you’ll want your name and address in a clean, easy to read font. Centered is usually most effective, but to the left and right can work as well with a divider line. Here’s a couple of resume examples.
John Doe
123 Anystreet
Your Town, Your State 12345
Home: (123) 456-7890 Cell: (123) 456-7890
Email address: johndoe@emailaddress.com
John Doe
123 Anystreet
Your Town, Your State 12345
Home: (123) 456-7890 Cell: (123) 456-7890
Email address: johndoe@emailaddress.com
John Doe
123 Anystreet
Your Town, Your State 12345
Home: (123) 456-7890 Cell: (123) 456-7890
Email address: johndoe@emailaddress.com
While there are variations on this, different fonts and styles, this is the basic options. As for the main body, you’ll want to highlight the last couple of jobs as well as whatever specific highlights from your career that is pertinent to the new job. Custom tailor the resume to each job you’re applying for to emphasize skills.
For instance, say you’re a graphics designer with a lot of video experience. You’ll list your job experience, but tailor the duties for each job you’re looking at applying for. For a print job, a resume example would be:
“Has experience with Adobe Creative Suite with emphasis on Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.”
Whereas a video based job may read:
“Has experience with Adobe Creative Suite with emphasis on Flash Catalyst, After Effects and Encore”
And for a web designer position the description in this resume example would read:
“Has experience with Adobe Creative Suite with emphasis on Dreamweaver, Flash Builder and Fireworks.”
All three statements are true, yet pointed directly at the job you’re applying for. Other skills are implied, but in the interest of saving valuable real estate on a resume, only the most pertinent details are emphasized.
Lastly, you’ll want to put your education and references on the second page. Limit your resume to 2 pages as the HR people won’t take the time to go through an extensive one. Put your education on top, with emphasis on degrees and activities that pertain specifically to the job. And tailor your references the same way. Those references who will attest to your skill set for the job you’re applying for will be the most effective.
Making a resume specific to the job is going to be the best way to get that next job. A generic resume may be acceptable, but customizing each resume will give you a much better chance of going for the interview and getting that next job.
