Writing your first resume when you have little to no work experience can be difficult – but don’t get discouraged! If you haven’t had a lot of work experience, you can write a functional resume that will focus on your skills rather than your experience [or lack of]. This is a great way to market yourself to potential employers as it allows you to focus on any transferable skills that you have gained through activities, experiences or volunteer work.
Before you start writing – make sure you read the job description and understand what they’re looking for – this will help you tailor your resume to the job that you are applying for. It’s important to keep in mind that these employers are going to be looking to see what you can do for them and their business.
In resume writing, organization is just as important as content. It is very likely that they will have multiple applicants and will be going through resumes quickly. So make sure that you organize your resume in a way that makes sense and is easy to read.
Typically you would format a functional resume as follows:
Start at the top with your name and contact information [address, phone number(s) and email address].
Follow with a job objective statement and tell the employer what position you are applying for.
Follow this with your summary of highlights, three to five brief statements that tell the potential employer why you are the best for the job.
Then, you will list your relevant skills and experiences [include 3-5). If you are applying for a job in customer service, examples might include things like team work or leadership experiences that you have obtained through sports or extracurricular activities. In a few point-form sentences, highlight your contributions, awards, scope of responsibility and [most importantly] any team achievements.
You may then list your relevant education and training, your volunteer or community involvement, and references will be on a separate sheet to be presented at the interview
When you’re done writing – make sure that you have someone reliable read over and edit your resume for you. It’s very important that your resume is free of spelling and grammatical errors. It’s likely that your resume will be the first impression that your potential employer will have of you – you want it to be a reflection of your capabilities and level of care.
If you are having trouble with your resume writing or your job search, visit one of our Agilec offices – we’re here to help!
Happy hunting,
Celina Tracy | Guest Blogger | Agilec
