Writing a résumé may be intimidating for a number of people. What makes it difficult is knowing what to include, what not to put in and what to highlight. Human resource managers receive hundreds of résumés, and on average, they will spend about 10-30 seconds on yours. So doing it right, will be your first and most important step in getting that job.

Plan before you write

Before putting your pen to paper (or more appropriately, fingers to the keys), begin by determining your objective. This should be done before you even start the actual résumé. As noted before, you only get a small chance to grab the interest of a hiring manager; therefore being general and scattered will ensure that your résumé is filed in the “circular file” (the garbage bin). Therefore, it is essential that you take the time before you start your résumé to form a clear and targeted objective.

Keep it clear and concise

Now that you’ve set your objectives, it’s time to start writing your résumé. Keep in mind, the main aim of your résumé is to get you that interview and subsequently, that job. It’s your first marketing tool. With that said, you do not want to go into detail about every accomplishment you’ve had in your life, but it’s still ok to let them know about some of the good stuff. Strive to be clear and concise, because no one wants to be bombarded with a ‘brag sheet’.

Epistles not necessary

In the body of your résumé, use bullet points. Opt for short sentences rather than lengthy paragraphs. Your résumé should be easy to read and having key phrases standing alone and bulleted will help the reader see the important information at a glance.

Use up your verbs

Words like prepared, managed, developed, and presented will cause your résumé to stand out.

Highlight your strengths

Highlight what is most relevant to the potential employer. Put your strongest and most relevant attributes first, where they are most likely to be read. Doing this will hook the reader, and the rest of your résumé will reel them in.

Be positive.

It’s important to avoid including negative and irrelevant points. Leave out irrelevant personal information like your race, weight, and height. If the employer really needs to know that kind of stuff, they’ll ask.

Presentation! Presentation! Presentation!

The font size should be no smaller than 10 point and the font should also be easy to read. Yes, some of those cursive fonts are really pretty but it makes no sense to use them if you can’t read them. In addition, a good length for the résumé is about 1-2 pages. Anything more than that would be bordering on short-story material.

Get an outside opinion.

Ask your parent or a friend to take a look at your finished résumé before you send it off. Having someone besides you review your résumé will allow you to note how others will view your marketing material. Ask them for feedback. Take their comments into consideration, and revise your résumé to include these items.

Write well and happy hunting!