Whether looking for a job or not it is always a good idea to keep your resume up to date in case you might need it. Having it ready makes it a ton easier than trying to remember everything you have done in the past 5 years. So, here are 3 very useful tips for building your resume if you are a little rusty or just learning how to put it together!

1. Organization is Key

It is important to organize your experience based on relevance or in reverse-chronological order. You should also make sure to use subheadings such as Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills when applicable. When considering fonts you should choose an easy to read font between the sizes of 10 and 12 points. You should also consider the balance of text and white space by using appropriate margins, you don’t want it too cluttered. 

If you are being effective with your organization your resume shouldn’t be longer than 2 pages (1 page ideally). And if it is longer than you are going to want to cut some of the fluff out. If you are wondering what to cut out, there are tons of articles on resume content and if you are patient enough, there just might be a part 2 to this article 😉

2. Revise Your Resume Based on the Job Description

Revise your resume for each job position you are planning on applying for. This requires you to thoroughly read each job posting so you are applying for positions you are qualified for and then you can pull out keywords and characteristics to be used in your resume to describe yourself. 

Also, make sure you are using action verbs for describing your previous responsibilities. Not sure what an action verb is? Here are 185 you can use!

3. Proofread

Lastly, but most definitely not least important you need to proofread. Then probably proofread again and I strongly recommend having someone else proofread. You can also use a FREE proofread service called Grammarly that can catch a lot of errors. I have it and use it whenever I write.

Bonus: If you want to make your resume’s content stand out more than someone else’s try volunteering more. Not only will it make you feel better as a person while helping someone else, employers like a well-rounded candidate. Don’t believe me? Check out this post on TheMuse about 5 Career-Boosting Reasons You Should Volunteer.

Let me know if you found this helpful and what you have learned that I might have missed!