6 answers
Nora
Student
Memphis, Tennessee
1
Question
Updated
2755 views
How do you make your resume look professional?
What do I need to do to make my resume look more professional?
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6 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1942
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Nora everyone who has been there knows how over-whelming it can be to apply for a job, especially when you're looking to start or develop a career pathway. The odds seem stacked against you and it can be a very intimidating experience. That's why it's essential to put your best foot forward with the best resume you can manage. The best resume builders transform your resume to create a bold, eye-catching document, and you might not even have to spend any money. Some of the best use free templates with a proven success rate – templates that have helped people land their dream positions.
RESUME.COM
True to form, the site has loads of fantastic templates that you can use, and the huge popularity of this site means that they’re proven to work – as vast numbers of people have already used these templates to secure interviews and new positions. Resume.com has also spoken to thousands of employees and employers to find out what people are looking for in a candidate, and its templates are based on that evidence. The company behind Resume.com also owns Indeed.com, which is one of the web’s biggest recruitment websites. That means Resume.com has loads of data available for creating its resume builder and CV templates. That also means it’s easy to share your CV to Indeed.com when it’s finished, so you’ll be able to apply for jobs in no time. Resume.com is free to use, and its templates cater to dozens of different jobs and industries, so it’s easy to start. Once it’s finished, you can easily download it to your PC or laptop. This may not be the only resume builder on the market, but you shouldn’t ignore Resume.com.
INDEED.COM
Once you’ve registered and verified your account you’ll be ready to get started, and Indeed’s resume builder is pleasingly straightforward. There are eight clean, modern templates to use, and users can deploy a small selection of different accent colors and fonts to personalize the document. It’s easy to type in your personal details, education history and previous employment, and Indeed suggests relevant skills that you can add to the document with a single click. Once you’ve added those and any extra professional certifications, the basic resume is finished, and you’re given a preview of the document alongside the option to add sections for languages, website links, awards, community achievements and more. You can make the document public or private – if you choose the former, it can help you apply for jobs on Indeed.com – and you can also download the resume as a PDF file if you’d like to use it for applications elsewhere. And, if you don’t want to use Indeed’s full resume builder, you can use a wizard to create a basic document with a step-by-step process.
RESUMEGENIUS.COM
ResumeGenius starts the process by deploying dozens of different CV templates. There are plenty of good-looking resumes available here, although they do veer towards the conventional – you’ll find plenty of traditional resumes but few graphics-heavy modern options. You can fill out your resume with more than 50,000 pre-written bullet points. They cover all industries and mean you can sound as professional as possible. You can download your resume as a Word document or PDF, and the site also has a cover letter builder and tools that can help you with resignation letters, thank-you notes, and letters of recommendation. This site doesn’t have the in-depth options of many others, but it’s a free tool that can quickly produce a professional resume – and that makes it worth using.
VISUALCV.COM
VisualCV is one of the most powerful and versatile resume-building websites around. The process begins with loads of attractive and modern templates that offer more color and visual pop than most other resume building tools, and once you’ve chosen the right look, you’re able to customize each resume to properly suit your needs. This site goes far beyond resume building. You can use advanced resume tracking to see when your document has been viewed or downloaded, and you can access free guides, blog posts, and articles if you need some extra help. You can import data from LinkedIn to make CV building easier and consult cover letter templates too. VisualCV allows you to easily share your resume with family and friends for quick feedback, and it has more privacy options than most resume builders, so your information is more secure. This site’s free package allows you to create one resume using a single template and then download it, but it will have VisualCV branding that can’t be removed. The Pro option gives you more templates and the ability to create an unlimited number of resumes.
RESUME.IO
Resume.io is one of the broadest resume sites on the internet, with a massive range of features that offer impressive quality in every department. As with any other resume builder, you can quickly use an attractive template to produce a rock-solid CV using Resume.io. This site also benefits from thousands of pre-written phrases alongside automatic spell checking and the ability to export your file in any format you choose. Elsewhere, this site deploys cover letter templates too. You can also generate automatic summaries for your documents, access recruitment tips, and track any applications that have used the documents you create on the site. If you use Resume.io for free, you can create a resume and cover letter and share links to those files with prospective employers, but you can only download the resume as a basic text file. If you buy its professional plan, you can create an unlimited number of resumes and cover letters using the site’s full library of tools. That’s the option we’d recommend.
Nora I hope this will be helpful.
RESUME.COM
True to form, the site has loads of fantastic templates that you can use, and the huge popularity of this site means that they’re proven to work – as vast numbers of people have already used these templates to secure interviews and new positions. Resume.com has also spoken to thousands of employees and employers to find out what people are looking for in a candidate, and its templates are based on that evidence. The company behind Resume.com also owns Indeed.com, which is one of the web’s biggest recruitment websites. That means Resume.com has loads of data available for creating its resume builder and CV templates. That also means it’s easy to share your CV to Indeed.com when it’s finished, so you’ll be able to apply for jobs in no time. Resume.com is free to use, and its templates cater to dozens of different jobs and industries, so it’s easy to start. Once it’s finished, you can easily download it to your PC or laptop. This may not be the only resume builder on the market, but you shouldn’t ignore Resume.com.
INDEED.COM
Once you’ve registered and verified your account you’ll be ready to get started, and Indeed’s resume builder is pleasingly straightforward. There are eight clean, modern templates to use, and users can deploy a small selection of different accent colors and fonts to personalize the document. It’s easy to type in your personal details, education history and previous employment, and Indeed suggests relevant skills that you can add to the document with a single click. Once you’ve added those and any extra professional certifications, the basic resume is finished, and you’re given a preview of the document alongside the option to add sections for languages, website links, awards, community achievements and more. You can make the document public or private – if you choose the former, it can help you apply for jobs on Indeed.com – and you can also download the resume as a PDF file if you’d like to use it for applications elsewhere. And, if you don’t want to use Indeed’s full resume builder, you can use a wizard to create a basic document with a step-by-step process.
RESUMEGENIUS.COM
ResumeGenius starts the process by deploying dozens of different CV templates. There are plenty of good-looking resumes available here, although they do veer towards the conventional – you’ll find plenty of traditional resumes but few graphics-heavy modern options. You can fill out your resume with more than 50,000 pre-written bullet points. They cover all industries and mean you can sound as professional as possible. You can download your resume as a Word document or PDF, and the site also has a cover letter builder and tools that can help you with resignation letters, thank-you notes, and letters of recommendation. This site doesn’t have the in-depth options of many others, but it’s a free tool that can quickly produce a professional resume – and that makes it worth using.
VISUALCV.COM
VisualCV is one of the most powerful and versatile resume-building websites around. The process begins with loads of attractive and modern templates that offer more color and visual pop than most other resume building tools, and once you’ve chosen the right look, you’re able to customize each resume to properly suit your needs. This site goes far beyond resume building. You can use advanced resume tracking to see when your document has been viewed or downloaded, and you can access free guides, blog posts, and articles if you need some extra help. You can import data from LinkedIn to make CV building easier and consult cover letter templates too. VisualCV allows you to easily share your resume with family and friends for quick feedback, and it has more privacy options than most resume builders, so your information is more secure. This site’s free package allows you to create one resume using a single template and then download it, but it will have VisualCV branding that can’t be removed. The Pro option gives you more templates and the ability to create an unlimited number of resumes.
RESUME.IO
Resume.io is one of the broadest resume sites on the internet, with a massive range of features that offer impressive quality in every department. As with any other resume builder, you can quickly use an attractive template to produce a rock-solid CV using Resume.io. This site also benefits from thousands of pre-written phrases alongside automatic spell checking and the ability to export your file in any format you choose. Elsewhere, this site deploys cover letter templates too. You can also generate automatic summaries for your documents, access recruitment tips, and track any applications that have used the documents you create on the site. If you use Resume.io for free, you can create a resume and cover letter and share links to those files with prospective employers, but you can only download the resume as a basic text file. If you buy its professional plan, you can create an unlimited number of resumes and cover letters using the site’s full library of tools. That’s the option we’d recommend.
Nora I hope this will be helpful.
Thank You Kim. Giving is not just about making a donation, it’s about making a difference.
Doc Frick
Hoshi Hu
Data Scientist
1
Answer
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Updated
Hoshi’s Answer
- Look for the templates online, use the simple and straightforward ones that are in black inc, no other extra graphics. The ones with your basic information at the top, clear titles for each section, and reasonable font and margins should be good enough!
- Include education background, degree, major, time of enrollment, key courses, and GPA(this depends).
- Include any projects you've done, name it professionally and emphasize the impact and technical skills used. Also, quantify the outcome as much as you can.
- Include your professional experiences(work experiences or interns), start with strong verbs to emphasize your 'impact'. Impact is very important. Quantify the outcome, again to address your impact! You can use Amazon's STAR(Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe and organize your experience.
At the end, if you have any other related achievements, certificate, or publications, feel free to put them on your resume. If not, you can put your skill sets.
- Include education background, degree, major, time of enrollment, key courses, and GPA(this depends).
- Include any projects you've done, name it professionally and emphasize the impact and technical skills used. Also, quantify the outcome as much as you can.
- Include your professional experiences(work experiences or interns), start with strong verbs to emphasize your 'impact'. Impact is very important. Quantify the outcome, again to address your impact! You can use Amazon's STAR(Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe and organize your experience.
At the end, if you have any other related achievements, certificate, or publications, feel free to put them on your resume. If not, you can put your skill sets.
Peter G Griffin
Manage a Mortgage Sales Team
1
Answer
Wantagh, New York
Updated
Peter G’s Answer
- Choose a simple and clean design: Opt for a straightforward template without too many decorations. Use easy-to-read fonts like Arial or Calibri in sizes 10 to 12.
- Keep the format consistent: Use the same spacing, fonts, and headings throughout your resume.
- Show your achievements with numbers: Use data to highlight your success. For example, say "Increased sales by 15% in Q2 2023" instead of just "Improved sales."
- Match the job description: Adjust your resume for each job, focusing on the skills and experiences that fit the role best.
- Use strong action words: Begin your bullet points with action verbs to highlight your achievements.
- Check for mistakes: Review your resume for any grammar or spelling errors to keep it professional.
- Be brief: Try to keep your resume to one page, especially if you have less than 10 years of experience. Use clear language to avoid extra words.
- Ask for opinions: Have a friend or career counselor look over your resume to give feedback on how it reads and looks.
- Save as a PDF: Submit your resume as a PDF to keep the format the same on all devices.
- Keep the format consistent: Use the same spacing, fonts, and headings throughout your resume.
- Show your achievements with numbers: Use data to highlight your success. For example, say "Increased sales by 15% in Q2 2023" instead of just "Improved sales."
- Match the job description: Adjust your resume for each job, focusing on the skills and experiences that fit the role best.
- Use strong action words: Begin your bullet points with action verbs to highlight your achievements.
- Check for mistakes: Review your resume for any grammar or spelling errors to keep it professional.
- Be brief: Try to keep your resume to one page, especially if you have less than 10 years of experience. Use clear language to avoid extra words.
- Ask for opinions: Have a friend or career counselor look over your resume to give feedback on how it reads and looks.
- Save as a PDF: Submit your resume as a PDF to keep the format the same on all devices.
Maxwell Nelson
Social Impact Consultant
1
Answer
Charlotte, North Carolina
Updated
Maxwell’s Answer
There are thousands of free templates available online. Ask your school's career center or your advisor if there are templates that they recommend. Most importantly, however, is that you tailor your resume to the role you're applying for. Use action verbs, and align your activity descriptions with requirements from the job description.
Robin Henrik Neem
1
Answer
Tallinn, Harju County, Estonia
Updated
Robin Henrik’s Answer
Keep it clean and simple and don't go over the top. Use a minimalist template (Overleaf has great ones). Focus on clarity: clear headings, consistent formatting, and no typos. Prioritize relevant experience and quantify achievements where possible.
Teklemuz Ayenew Tesfay
Electrical Engineer, Software Developer, and Career Mentor
520
Answers
Ethiopia
Updated
Teklemuz Ayenew’s Answer
Many have already shared essential advice on how to create a professional resume. Here, I want to add a few key tips of my own. Keep your resume focused and professional by excluding personal details like gender, age, or marital status, none of these are relevant to your qualifications and can lead to bias. Remove any work experience that isn’t relevant or is too outdated to be meaningful. You don’t need to include your full mailing address; just your city and state are enough. It’s also best to leave out phrases like “references available upon request”, a short, focused summary is more effective. Only include education details if they’re recent and relevant, and avoid listing personal social media or sensitive information unless it directly relates to the job. Use clear, industry-standard job titles, and instead of simply listing soft skills, demonstrate them through your experience. If something doesn’t support your current goals or add value to the role you’re applying for, it’s best to leave it out.