How to Prepare for Writing a Resume

Writing a Resume

Writing a resume is a straightforward process and you will already have or know most of the information you need to include on it. To get prepared for writing your resume, you will need to gather some pieces of information and then decide how best to arrange your information on paper, a process that largely depends on the type of job you are applying for. The following tips will help you prepare for writing a top notch resume that grabs attention and hopefully gets the interview.

Components of a Resume

The main sections of a resume are:

• Contact
• Objective
• Education
• Experience
• Achievements

While you are gathering information for the work experience, education and achievement sections, begin thinking about what you want to write for your objective statement, a brief sentence about your goal for this job. Education For the education section, you will need dates, names, location and degree earned for all education you have attended. You can include incomplete degrees or degrees in progress, just be sure to clarify in your description.

Experience

List the company name, job title, dates worked and a description of your work completed for any relevant work history. This is the most involved part of preparing for writing your resume, because you may have to gather this information from several sources.

Achievements

Any professional or relevant achievements should be listed in this section. You will need to dig up honors, awards, certificates and any other relevant information that will highlight your achievements for your prospective employer.

Decide on a Format

Once you have compiled the information and have a general idea of how much room it will take on a page, it is time to decide what type of format you will use. The easiest way to do this is to look at resume samples online and find one that fits your specific industry and information needs. You will choose from a chronological resume, which lists work experience in order, or a functional resume, which focuses instead on your skills and accomplishments.

Software Needed to Write a Resume

With all of the necessary elements in place, you are ready to write your resume. No specific software is needed to write a resume, but a word processing program like Microsoft Word or OpenOffice will allow you to format your resume for a professional look. You can also utilize online word processors, such as Google Docs or Zoho.

Hire a Resume Writer

Another option is to hire the services of a professional resume writer. You have already compiled the necessary information, so you can simply send it on to a writer and have a finished, professional resume returned to you. This can be a great option if the idea of writing unnerves you.

Ask for Second Opinions

Whichever way you go, it helps to line up willing readers to give your resume a once over and check it for flow, professionalism and grammatical errors. Friends and family are often willing to help, so try to find at least two people to give you second opinions. The biggest part of preparing to write a resume is compiling the information, often from many different sources. Once this legwork is done, you will be prepared to write a winning resume that highlights your skills and helps you get noticed.