Most people know that they need a resume to apply for a job and the thought process stops there. In fact, if you randomly give someone the task of writing a resume, the first thoughts that come to mind are “Well, this is going to be easy”. However the next thought is always “Now, How to write a resume?” and off to google, we go. With a quick google search, you figure out that there is more than what meets the eye when it comes to resume writing.
What is an online resume builder? Resume Templates? Resume Format? These are frequently asked questions answered in this article.
When making a resume, the top 10 most frequently asked question
- What is a Resume Template?
A user can fill in pre-designed resume templates, online or after downloading and make an excellent resume in minutes. You can buy resume templates for cheap, download them for free or even make them yourself.
Resume Templates define the visual impact of your resume.
A resume template is an excellent tool for users who are looking to make many targeted resumes in a short period of time.
Resume templates come in all shapes and sizes depending on the user, so make sure to pick one according to your needs.
- How to choose a Resume Template?
The resume template that you design or downloaded should adhere to some rules of Resume Making.
Firstly, a resume template should have separated sections for you contact, work history, skills, education etc so that everything falls into the correct label, for an easy read.
Secondly, The resume template of choice should have minimal design. This in no way means that you can not be creative but Resume templates that are too ornate tend to not do to well with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
- What is an Applicant Tracking System?
HR Offices use Applicant tracking Systems (ATS)to sift through all resumes sent in. It picks the most viable candidate for the next step of the hiring process.
ATS normally focus on two things to make their decisions:
- Keywords
- Whether the Resume has proper formatting.
- What is a Professional Resume example? How to write a resume using Professional Examples?
A resume that has been proven to be effective is called a professional resume. In other words these are the resumes of professionals already present in a certain field.
Job seekers can look at these resumes and can get an idea of what the job requires and what the entire resume should look like.
How to make a resume using a professional example? It goes without saying but the gist of the entire process is not to copy but to get inspiration from the professional resume example. Emulate the content, the template and the formatting into your own resume without stealing.What are the main resume formats?
- What is a resume Format?
The three major resume formats are, namely:
Reverse-Chronological – Work History, Skills and Education.
Functional – Skills, Education and Work History.
Combination – A mixture of all three, also called a hybrid resume format.
- How to write a resume keeping resume formats in mind?
Which resume format to use while making your resume solely depends on your work experience. For any professional the work experience on a resume is what HR Managers will look for first. This mainly because it takes resources to train a newbie recruit and company’s would rather have someone who knows what they’re doing rather than someone who is going to learn how things work.
The most common resume format is the reverse-chronological (R-C) format. This lists your work experience right after the professional summary and before anything else, making it easier for the HR Manager to read through your relevant work history and decide whether you fit the job description.
How to write a resume without any work experience? Well that’s what the other two formats are for. The functional and combination resume format either prioritize Skills and Education over work experience or use them all together to create a hybrid resume. This is to make up for the lack of professional experience. In these formats it’s imperative that job seekers dazzle the HR manager using their skills and education so elaborate and direct to any instance, project or experience that can be considered relevant experience to the job.
- How long should a resume be?
This one is an easy one to answer. 1 page.
Resumes aren’t supposed to be long novels about your work life. They are documented for the consideration of HR Managers to decide whether a candidate fits a job description. So, if your resume exceeds one page you’re most likely doing something wrong.
To further illustrate my point let me just say that Elon Musk’s entire resume can fit on one page. If he can do it, then so can you.
- How does an Online Resume Builder work?
An online resume builder is an automated compiler that asks users questions and uses the answers to create a resume. A user’s best bet is to use an online resume builder for making multiple target letters in a short period of time.
- How to write a resume for a targeted job ?
Targeted resumes are resumes that are made with a specific job in mind. Job seekers are encouraged to make targeted resumes instead of using a one size fits all approach to resume making.
In short Targeted resumes are made for one job and one job only. For as many jobs as you plan to apply for, you should make the same number of resumes. An Online resume builder can really help cut your time short in doing this.
- CV vs Resume? What is the Difference ?
Curriculum Vitae literally translates to “Life’s Work”. In Essence a CV is supposed to be a compilation of all your life’s work history presented in one document.
Resume however, refers to a document used by individuals to apply for a specific position in a workplace.
All that being put aside, practically speaking when you hear the word Resume or CV being used they mean the same thing and the only thing that matters is context. The only exception to this rule is when applying for an academic pursuit where CV is the norm.
