Scared to death when you think of resume writing? We came prepared with templates, examples, and lots of tips!
- Start out with a solid template
For a basic business resume (that will also work for school organizations), we love this template and this sample resume! You can also visit your school’s career center website for more templates and resume writing tips. Keep in mind that certain college degree plans, such as pre-health and engineering, use formats that look a little different from the “basic” business resume template! - If you’re starting from scratch, give yourself at least a week to write and edit (a lot)!
You should treat resume writing like essay writing. Plan ahead, edit carefully, and don’t expect to produce your best work under last-minute circumstances. Simple mistakes such as bad grammar and sloppy formatting may cause your resume to be quickly thrown out! For the best results, close your resume for a day after writing a first draft, return to your work with fresh eyes, and read your resume aloud to catch mistakes. - Know the basic rules!
The basic business resume has some unique “rules” to abide by:- Limit your resume to one page, but make sure you mostly fill that page. (Yes, really. Employers/organizations want to see a concise snapshot about who you are!)
- Use a simple font (Times New Roman or Ariel)!
- Start each bulleted phrase with an action verb. (eg: “Enhanced logistics documentation…”). Click here for more examples of strong resume action verbs!
- Don’t end your bulleted phrases with periods!
- Always quantify your accomplishments with numbers and examples! (eg: “interacted with over 1100 employees” or “increased sponsorship by $450 in donations.”)
- To fit more on the page (or make it appear as if you fill the page), slightly increase or decrease font size or change the line spacing.
- Use your school’s resources!
Once you have a resume draft that you’re happy with, it’s extremely important to run your work by someone else! While family members and friends can be great resources, the best person to check your work is a professional in your career office or counseling center! For the best results, get opinions from a few different people! - Find an Apollo Tutor to walk you through the writing and editing process!
Still don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’re applying for your dream job, school, or position and want to make sure your resume is perfect? Apollo Tutors are experts who can walk you through the whole process – from writing to formatting and editing! Find your tutor today at www.apollotutors.org.