Sometimes the best way to get started on your resume is to just start writing in a Word or text document (Notepad or WordPad, for example). Just jot down your version of the typical components of a resume (that you’ve seen in the samples you’ve reviewed) and worry about formatting, fine-tuning, and polishing later.
Also consider developing the components of your resume through our worksheets:
- Keywords Worksheet — use this worksheet to help identify keywords for use in your resume and cover letter. These keywords will likely vary according to job/type of job you are seeking.
- Resume Components Worksheet — a critical worksheet to help you develop every aspect of your resume. Whether you’re starting your resume from scratch or just tweaking an existing document, use this worksheet to make your resume sparkle.
- Resume Professional Profile/Qualifications Summary Worksheet — use this worksheet to help you develop bullet points for this very important resume section. You may want to tweak the section slightly for each job/type of job you apply for. (Not aware of this section of a resume? Check out: Fundamentals of a Good Chronological Resume.)
- Especially vital for career-changers is our Transferable Skills Worksheet — use this worksheet to develop lists of skills and examples of how you’ve used them. Determine which skills are transferable and applicable to each job/type of job you plan to apply for, and plan how to portray those skills in your resume and cover letter.
Now, put all the components together, using the organizational and layout models you’ve admired in the samples you’ve reviewed. As you’ll note in most sample, the majority of items on a resume are presented as bullet points, and most of those bullet points kick off with powerful action verbs. See a list of sample verbs here and samples of action verbs in use here.
