Discover 5 easy ways to write an effective resume and set yourself apart from the crowd. Our resume writing advice includes design tips, layout hints, and more.

5 Ways to Write an Effective Resume

What is A Resume?

Contrary to popular belief, a resume is more of a marketing tool than a professional bio. What’s the difference? A bio simply states facts about your professional history, while a marketing document points to your skills and strengths as a solution to an organization’s problems. Ideally, a resume should feature a crisp, clean font face, a comprehensive picture of yourself as a marketable processional, and no more than one page of content (with some exceptions). But how do you write an effective resume? We’ve scoured the Internet to find the best resume templates writing advice for you to consider.

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According to Jason Hill, the founder of Sound Advice, creating a single resume and sending it out to each company on your list is one of today’s most common resume mistakes. Take your time and draft a unique resume for each organization. Research the company, read the job description carefully, understand what the company is looking for, and present yourself as the solution while you write.

• Design

Most resumes are initially sorted by an Applicant Tracking System, which filters relevant applications by keywords and phrases that match the job description. When human eyes land on the resume, it takes a recruiter an average of 25 seconds to scan and decide whether to proceed. Draft your resume with these two factors in mind. We suggest industry-specific keywords, clear headings, wide margins, bold and italic typeface to guide the eye of the reader, and bullets to call attention to important points.

When it comes to creativity, keep your target industry in mind. For example, applying to a directional boring company may call for a different design aesthetic than applying to a graphic design firm. Moreover, applying for the second one will be easier if you have passed a graphic design course, which will bring you great benefits and will make you an attractive candidate.

• Skills Summary

Rather than writing a personal objective statement, write a career summary that’s tailored to the job you’re applying for. Recruiters tend to be more concerned about the company’s needs than your own. A career summary includes a quick overview of who you are and what you do, and when done well (i.e. tailored to the job), it captures the reader’s attention from the very beginning.

• Work Experience Before Education

In writing an effective resume, it’s best practice to put your work experience before your education. Recruiters are more interested in your professional experience and skills than your educational feats.

• Accomplishments Over Responsibilities

A compelling resume lists quantified and interesting accomplishments, rather than dry and generic responsibilities. List accomplishments unique to your previous positions to show the company that you can be a solution to their problems because you’ve successfully tackled similar situations in the past.

Writing an effective resume is critical in today’s day and age. With so many competitors, it’s hard not to get frustrated with the job-hunting process. But with this potent list of resume writing advice, you’ll be able to draft a document that sets you apart from the crowd.