The Importance of a Resume

A resume is a one-page document that provides the initial information hiring managers and recruiters need in order to evaluate your skills, accomplishments, and career experience as they relate to the job to which you are applying. As a jobseeker, a resume is one of the most essential parts of your application as it is the first impression future employers will have of you.

The goal of writing a well-developed resume is to be recognized by potential employers as a good match in a timely manner–a strategic advantage you want to have on other applicants.

It is important to note that you should always tailor your resume to each open job position and follow the next four steps to building the perfect resume.

Related: Tips on How to Update Your Resume

Four Steps to Building the Perfect Resume

1. Name and Contact Information

While you may decide to add, remove, or alter sections within your resume to best fit the role you are applying to, you must always include a method of contact such as your phone number or email address.

            Example:

            Marissa LeAnne Simmons

            Dallas, Texas (123) 456-7890 – msimmons@email.com 

2. Resume Summary or Highlight Reel

Next, you may wish to include a brief professional introduction that encompasses your most valuable skills and career achievements to the position to which you are applying. By providing an engaging summary and highlighting your strongest professional assets, you will be sure to capture the attention of hiring managers and recruiters. It is important to note that your resume summary should be short, concise, and to the point–approximately 4-5 bullets in length.

Example of a summary or highlight reel for an IT Support Analyst::

• Experienced IT Helpdesk Analyst with over 3 years of hands-on technical support experience and a record of consistently delivering client satisfaction.
• Resolved complex technical problems for a multinational corporation, ensuring uninterrupted operations for over 500 employees.
• Spearheaded migration from legacy infrastructure to a cloud-based platform while minimizing disruption to business operations.
• Consistently recognized for exceptional problem-solving skills and a customer-centric approach, resulting in receiving the “Service Excellence” award.

3. Certifications, Skills, and Tools

To start off strong, include relevant certifications, skills, and tools or software with which you are familiar. This will immediately allow the recruiter to see how your skill set aligns with the role and will increase the likelihood they will continue to review the rest of your resume.

4. Professional History

As the most critical element of your resume, your professional history should contain information regarding previous roles, responsibilities, and career accomplishments. In addition, you should provide information such as unique abilities, skills, and experience with tools or software that directly relate to the job to which you are applying. You should strive to add quantitative data that shows the results you have achieved. For example, an IT HelpDesk professional may list that they support 700 users with an average ticket time of 57 minutes.

Take the Next Step in Your Career Search Journey

A smooth, successful job search journey begins with a straightforward outline of your professional background.

 A well-written resume may offer an advantage over similarly qualified candidates by clearly communicating your skills and career experience in relation to the job to which you are applying.

If you would like to learn more about resumes, job search strategies,  and more, join us for free career advice at YUPRO Placement’s Jobseeker Bootcamp. Our bootcamp takes place each month with 45-minute training held Tuesday-Friday from 1:00-1:45 PM ET/ 10:00-10:45 AM PT via Zoom.

Register here to take the next step in your career search journey!