Your resume is the first impression you make on a hiring manager, and it’s important to make sure it’s formatted in the most effective way possible.
Here are 5 ways to structure a resume to get you noticed:
- Use a header
The header is the first thing people see when they look at your resume, so make it count! A header should be bold and attention-grabbing, so use words that inspire confidence and trust, like “Seeking a new position” or “I am an expert in this field.”
- Use bullets
Bullets are great for making your resume look more organized, but avoid using them for every single item on your list. Keep them to about four per page, and make sure each bullet includes a verb that describes what you did in the last position you held (e.g., “managed” or “trained”).
- Use headers for relevant skills
Don’t just list everything at once—group related skills together in their own section so recruiters can quickly scan through all of your relevant experience and find what they’re looking for! For example, if you’ve worked as an accountant before, include this job under “accounting experience.” If you have experience managing social media accounts, put “social media management experience” under that heading instead. And if you’re interested in journalism? Put those two skills together under one heading: Journalism Experience
- Focus on your skills and accomplishments, rather than your education
- Make sure that the content of your resume aligns with the job description
- Use action verbs and active voice to emphasize your achievements
- Use bullets to describe each skill or accomplishment, so readers don’t have to read long blocks of text
- Keep it brief—no more than two pages, including the cover letter
- Use action verbs
- Use active verbs
- Be specific about your skills and accomplishments (Don’t just say “networking”)
- Avoid the word “I”