Writing an Effective Resume in 5 Steps

There is nothing more complicated than writing a resume in the job search process. Despite the fact that most people spend no more than an hour on developing a job application package, developing an effective resume is way more time consuming than they think. The thing is that we live in a world where everything and everybody moves so quickly. Long term commitments and time-consuming endeavors become unpopular today as people seek other ways to deal with problems. However, sometimes there is no other way but to sit and spend hours concentrating on one thing in order to achieve the desired effect. That is exactly what effective resume writing is all about. At Prime-resume we develop a 5 step guide to give you a clear understanding of how you can do it efficiently.

5 Step Resume Writing Guide

Writing a resume

1. Get the Job Right. If you have no clue what specifically you want in terms of employment it is hard to imagine how you can possibly deliver a quality resume. Knowing what you want specifically is the number one condition for writing an effective resume. When you get the job right, you can get your resume right. One is impossible without the other. So before you ever sit to write your resume or CV you have to know what kind of job you want.

2. Find a specific job opening. Sending your resume to a hundred employers may be more convenient for you but that is not how it works. You may get lucky and get invited for a job interview although that seems to be very unlikely today. The thing is you have to know what job opening you are writing your resume for. Tailoring your resume to a specific job ad is crucial for the ultimate job search success.

3. Get to writing your draft. Write down everything that seems to be relevant to the applying position. It is only relevant information that matters. At least for the employer. There will be a temptation to list other details that are significant to you personally but keep in mind that a resume is meant not for self-glorification. This document is written exclusively for employers so concentrate on things that are interesting for them.

4. Structure everything. It is time to write your resume. We find the following structure most effective when it comes to job search: personal and contact details, summary, major accomplishments (if any), work experience, education, other experience. Obviously, one can play a little bit with these depending on what kind of experiences he/she has had in the past. But this is a good pattern to follow if you are an experienced professional.

5. Read, edit and proofread. Your resume shouldn't contain any errors as hiring authorities may consider this as the lack of desire to get the job. If you don't care about the quality of your resume (which is your main marketing document) then you probably don't care that much about the job you are applying for. This is as simple as it sounds. Following these five steps will help you not to lose sight of the most important things in resume writing. This guide was developed by resume writing experts in collaboration with hiring managers so you don't have to worry that this guide is in any way misleading. Based on the experience of those who deal with resumes and CVs on a daily basis we created this handy guide to help our readers with their job search challenges. If you need more help on this you can always contact our live support team.

Customers feedback

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Michael S.

Thank you for the wonderful resume and layout. I am pleased with the work. My job search will kick into high gear in December so I will probably be using cover letter service then. Please add the gaduation date from Excel Technical college as 1998. Thank you so much.

Claire M.

Well written and it doesn't concentrate on the foodservice manager, a field I do not want to work in.

Melissa H.

I wanted to tell you that my resume now looks very, very impressive. It’s perfection itself!

Darin A.

I wanted to let you know that I got the resume the very day you sent it out. My interview was scheduled for Tuesday and that same night, by 10 pm, I got an email from the principal informing me that the position was mine. The result was superquick!!! The job’s at the school I really wanted to be a part of. Thanks a million!!!

Steven Z.

I, once again, want to thank you for the outstanding service and the timely help you provided.

Mike E.

Thanks to your resume, I got calls from companies of a much higher caliber. It definitely beats the one I made for myself. Thanks!

David P.

“You really excel at what you do. My resume looks impressive. Thanks!”

Tom S.

Both the cover letter and the resume are excellent! They definitely won’t be the reason I fail to find the right job. You rock!