When you’re applying for a job online, the resume is everything. It’s your chance to shine or crush the prospective employer’s interest with your words. Fortunately, technology makes it easier than ever to put the perfect resume together.
If you’re looking for a way to write a killer resume that pops, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to write a killer resume online that will get you the job you deserve.
The Perfect Resume
Let’s get to the good stuff already! What makes a perfect resume? To start, it should be clean. This means no spelling errors, no grammatical errors, and no information that’s potentially embarrassing. Now, there are some cases where you might want to leave some mystery off of your resume – maybe you’re still in school and don’t want to reveal too much about yourself. However, for the most part, you want to put all of your best foot forward so that the employer knows exactly who you are and what you can do for them. This means staying away from vague or overly general terms when it comes to describing your skills and experience. It should also be concise. A one-page resume is perfect as it’s snappy and to-the-point. You don’t have the space for much else. Lastly, make sure it’s up-to-date.
In the world of online job applications, the resume is often the only piece of contact you have with a potential employer. So, it’s important that it’s error-free and reflects your best side. After all, this is the only piece of information they’ll have about you.
Now, you might be wondering how to write a killer resume in the first place. Sometimes, it can be tricky to know where to start. That’s why we’re here. Let’s walk through the process to put a perfect resume together.
The Basics
Before you begin writing your resume, it’s important to establish the following:
- Your objective(s)
- The role you’re playing in the industry
- The strengths you bring to the table
- The specific skills you need to fulfill your objective(s)
- The accomplishments you’ve made
- The knowledge you’ve gained
- The experience you’ve had
- What you want from the position
- Previous work history
- Special talents
- Your personal strengths
- Your professional network
Your Objective(s)
Your objective(s) are essentially the reason you’re applying for the job. They can be quite vague at first, but you need to provide some context for the reader. Your objective(s) should match the role you’re applying for and provide a glimpse of what you’ll do there. Your objective(s) should also match the experience you’ve had and the knowledge you’ve gained. Some examples of objectives are:
- To become an independent sales rep.
- To grow my business
- To take on new projects and responsibilities
- To add a new product to my company’s line
Now, you might not want to include all of your objectives because it will make your resume very lengthy. Sometimes, it’s better to choose a few key objectives and expand upon them in the summary.
As you write your objectives, it’s important to keep them relevant. You don’t want to choose an objective that’s very specific and then struggle to find the relevant experience to back it up. Choose objectives that are closely related to the position you’re applying for and can be verified.
The Role You’re Playing
Depending on the role you’re applying for, you might want to briefly mention your previous roles. This can be a good place to mention your responsibilities and the achievements you’ve made. However, you don’t want to put too much information here because it will make the resume very long. It’s better to choose one or two key roles you’re playing and then expand upon them in the summary.
Your Strengths
Your strengths are essentially the skills you have that are valuable to the position you’re applying for. Your strengths should be relevant to the role you’re playing. They should also match the experience you’ve had and the knowledge you’ve gained. Some examples of strengths are:
- Accounting skill
- Leadership ability
- Motivation
- Organization
- Negotiation
- Problem solving
- Planning
Now, you might not want to include all of your strengths because it will make your resume very long. Sometimes, it’s better to choose a few key strengths and expand upon them in the summary.
Your Skills
Your skills are essentially the knowledge you’ve gained through your previous experiences. Your skills should be relevant to the role you’re playing. It’s also important they match the experience you’ve had and the knowledge you’ve gained. Some examples of skills are:
- Bookkeeping
- Accounting
- Finance
- Tax
- Grammar
- Spelling
- Operations research
- Marketing
- Management
- HR
- Copywriting
- Writing
- Editing
- Proofreading
- Design
- Technology
- Communication
- Organization
Now, you might not want to include all of your skills because it will make your resume very long. Sometimes, it’s better to choose a few key skills and expand upon them in the summary.
What You Need To Fulfill Your Objective(s)
What you need to fulfill your objective(s) essentially represents the specific skills you need to perform the job you desire. Your objective(s) should be closely related to the role you’re applying for and should also match the experience you’ve had and the knowledge you’ve gained. This is where you’ll mention the specific technologies you’ve worked with, the platforms you’ve developed expertise in, and the areas of specialization you’ve attained. Your objective(s) should also match the skills you need to fulfill your strengths.
As you write your requirements, it’s important to keep them relevant. You don’t want to choose an objective that’s very specific and then struggle to find the relevant experience to back it up. Choose objectives that are closely related to the position you’re applying for and can be verified.
The Accomplishments You’ve Made
The accomplishments you’ve made are essentially the results of your efforts. This could include anything from developing new software to launching a new product or improving an existing one. Your accomplishments should be directly related to the objectives you’ve set and should be able to be verified. When it comes to your accomplishments, it’s important to focus on the results you’ve achieved and not the steps you took to get there. For example, if you’ve developed new software and submitted it to a publisher for review, but didn’t get the result you wanted, then this would be considered a failure.
The Knowledge You’ve Gained
The knowledge you’ve gained is essentially the sum of your experiences. This includes everything from what you’ve learned through formal education to what you’ve picked up through self-learning and on-the-job training. Your knowledge should be directly related to the objectives you’ve set and should be able to be verified. When it comes to your knowledge, it’s important to focus on the results you’ve achieved and not the steps you took to get there. For example, if you’ve learned how to properly negotiate with a vendor, but you never actually negotiated a contract, then this would be considered an empty achievement. The steps you took to learn are what’s important in this case.