How to Write a Resume

Your resume is likely the first impression employers get of you, so it's important to make it a good one. Resumes are summaries of your education, experience, strengths, values, and skills. Whether you land an interview often depends on how attractive your resume is to employers. Here are some tips to help you perfect your resume.

What should I include in my resume?

A resume that leads to an interview is informative, aesthetically pleasing, and concise, but not to the extent that it leaves out important details that employers may be looking for. On the other hand, resumes should not be lengthy enough that employers have to sift through paragraphs of irrelevant information. When you're structuring your resume, here are some items to prioritize:

1. Name and contact information: Include your legal name, email, and phone number. If you have a professional website or portfolio, consider linking it via a hyperlink or QR code.

   
   

2. Education: List the degrees you may have starting at high school. Briefly detail relevant awards, certifications, achievements, honors, or scholarships you received. It's not necessary to include the year(s) you graduated, but it's very helpful to note the areas of study you focused on when listing your college degree(s).
   

3. Work experience: List all relevant jobs that prove to potential employers that you either have experience with the duties described in the role you're applying for, or that you are a capable learner and are able to adapt to the environment the job demands. List each role by your job title, the amount of time you worked in that role, and the company you worked for. For each role you list, describe the duties you managed using single sentence bullet points. Start each sentence with a verb, or an action word. For example, a grocery store clerk might list a few of their responsibilities this way:
   

   • Greeted customers using excellent customer service skills.

   • Managed cash and card transactions using a digital POS system.

   • Assisted supervisors with new employee training and onboarding.

   If you can, add data as you see fit. Use your best estimations to prove your efficiency and organizational skills. For instance, we could edit the first bullet point to read "Greeted 50+ customers per shift using excellent customer service skills."
   

4. Skills and Certifications: Include up-to-date licenses and certifications to show off your expertise. Some resumes also list applicants' special skills, like the following:

• Customer service

• Grant writing

• Public relations

• Graphic design

• Multi-line phone systems

• Food safety

• Inventory

• Problem-solving

What should I leave out of my resume?

Sometimes, flooding your resume with too much information can hurt your chances of landing an interview. When in doubt, keep it simple, and avoid including the following items:

1. Date of birth, or any information that alludes to your age: Even though employers are legally required to consider each applicant fairly and without bias regarding applicants' age, it's a good idea to keep any information that identifies your age off your resume. This helps employers get a glimpse of your experience and potential without being clouded by any unconscious bias they may have about your age.
   

2. Too much experience: Employers might not need to know the entirety of your professional background. When listing your work experience, stick to describing three to four roles you've had that are relevant to the position you're applying for. If you can, try not to include roles that aren't related to the position you're applying for. For example, an employer won't learn much about your capabilities as a sales professional when reading about your duties as a babysitter. However, if you have a limited background with under three roles to list, list them all, and make a case for your growth as a professional as a result of working each job when describing your responsibilities.
   

3. A headshot: Unless you're an actor, performer, broadcaster, or any other professional that warrants supplying an employer a headshot, you can do away with including a picture of yourself on your resume.
   

4. Personal references: Do not list close friends or family members as a reference. Reach out to former colleagues and supervisors that you've worked closely with and ask them if they would consent to being listed as a reference on your resume. Employers would rather hear about your work style and achievements through a former boss than your uncle.

Should I include references on my resume?

Contrary to popular belief, references should be left off of your resume and should only be provided to employers upon request and as their own document. Every word on your resume counts. With a limited amount of space, you must convince employers that you are an excellent fit for their company while giving them a comprehensive glimpse into your professional and educational background. It's hard enough to jam everything you want to fit onto a single document. Don't take up space for references—provide them as a separate document.

Before you send your references to a potential employer, make sure you contact the references to let them know that they may be receiving a call or email to discuss your strengths.

What tools can I use to write my resume?

There are a few ways you can type up a good-looking resume for free. First, Google Docs provides free templates with customizable colors, fonts, and formatting. You must have a G-Mail account to use Google Docs.

Using a free Canva subscription, you can access even more resume templates with a great range of styles to choose from. Both Google Docs and Canva allows you to download your resume as a PDF to upload on job sites or send to employers. Job listing sites like Indeed have free resume builder capabilities, but they aren't fully customizable and may include errors. It's best to create your resume yourself so you know exactly what employers will be looking at and asking you about during interviews.

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