How to Build the Best Resume

In the end, your resume is your first chance to tell a story about your professional experience. It’s a powerful tool that’s meant to capture your unique value and make a hiring manager or recruiter want to interview you. Creating the best resume involves identifying your skills, experiences and strengths and carefully selecting which ones are most relevant to the position for which you’re applying.

The most important section of a resume is the work experience section, which should focus on the positions that are most relevant to your job search. Generally, it’s not necessary to include every single previous job you’ve held. Instead, narrow it down to the three or four former jobs that highlight your industry experience and the specific skills you’re looking for in a new role.

You should also focus on quantifying your job responsibilities and accomplishments in each role. Use action words such as “achieved,” “designed,” “improved,” and “established” to make your descriptions sound more powerful. However, it’s important to avoid using too many of these types of words as they can become trite and take up valuable space.

Including the months and years that you worked at each of your roles will help if you’re writing a chronological resume. Adding these dates will prevent employers from wondering about gaps in your employment history. If you have to, however, explain any gaps by stating a succinct reason next to each of your job titles.how to build the best resume