Resume Outline

Essentially, your resume is an time line of your work history and the best way to get started on building your resume is to create a basic resume outline. A basic resume consists of a number of different sections that are usually going to be on your resume.

Basic Resume Outline

These sections are your name, your profile, accomplishments/skills, career history and experience.

These are the four major sections you should have on your resume. Other sections you could include in your outline are your language skills, interests, and references.

Resume Outline

Let us break down each section of your resume outline.

Resume Outline: Contact Info

The first one is pretty basic and that is your name and contact information. This includes your address and telephone number (which includes both your home and cell phone number). You do not need to list a fax number on your resume or your outline and it is probably not a good idea to list your work number either unless you are self employed or you have a private line.

Resume Outline: Profile

The next section in your resume outline is your profile. This section is going to outline your skills, and capabilities that are relevant to the employer. This section of your outline should be brief. Try to keep it to 6 lines or less and while it should be factual, you can always put a little bit of personality in here.

Resume Outline: Achievements

The third section of you resume outline is your major achievements. Try to outline anywhere from 3-6 major achievements in this section. The achievements that you are listing in your outline should be what you have done for your current and previous employers. If you worked for a call center and have received any awards or recognition for your excellent customer service, this is the point in your outline you want o mention it. Achievements can also be anything that has to do with saving your company money, increasing profits, improving work flow or anything you may have done to improve company business.

Resume Outline: Work History

The fourth section of your resume outline is your work history. You should always list your work experience on your outline in reverse chronological order. This means you start your outline with your most recent or current job first and end with your earliest job. A rule of thumb for your resume outline is to really zone in on your current job and the job you had before that. The rest of them you can list a few key details about. Stick with outlining your main responsibilities on your résumé outline. If you were responsible for getting your boss his daily cup of coffee you do not need to list that on your outline. However if you helped your boss design a way to increase production while saving money, you want to make sure you put it on your outline.

Resume Outline: Education

The fifth and possible final section of your resume outline should be your education or any training you may have. You can also list any qualifications you may have in this section of your outline. You do not need to mention your GPA especially if it has been some time since you were in college.

Resume: Summary & Goals

Your whole goal is to make your resume outline as user friendly as possible for the employer who is reading it. They should be able to read quickly through your resume. Most of the time employers quickly scan resumes and you want to make sure that your resume outline jumps out at them.

Outline of a Resume

There are no shortages of resumes in circulation. Yet, despite the millions of possible resume combination, all of them will still contain the basic outline of a resume.

It is through this outline that they become somewhat similar. So what is involved in the basic outline of a resume? To find the answer to this question read on, as this article will explain everything you need to know about what is required in the basic outline of a resume.

The first element in the basic outline of a resume is the contact information. There are a few people that actually believe that, in the outline of a resume, this section should actually be listed last. Be aware though that most people will have it in the beginning portion in the outline of a resume. Either way, your contact information should contain your full name, your address, your telephone number and your email address. Don’t include any personal information such as your banking account or Social Security Number. If your potential employer expects these things before you are hired, end your communication with them, since they are scams. Companies will only ask for this type of information in person on confidential documents that require real signatures.

The second element in the basic outline of a resume is your work history. List the information here in reverse chronological order. This means you list your most recent job to your least recent job. In your lists make sure to include: the name of your employer, the dates you worked for them, the title of your position, the duties of your position and finally anything you obtained from the position, such as newly acquired skills or awards. Separate more specific points in this section with bullets.

The third element in the basic outline of a resume is your academic history. The elements listed within this section should also be in reverse chronological order. List the following: the name of the school you attended, the dates you attended, the degrees you received, your grade point average and any academic awards or achievements you may have earned. And just like the work history section, make sure you separate each element with bullets.

The fourth element in the basic outline of a resume includes your general skills or qualifications. As usual separate each section with bullets. When writing your skills or qualifications, don’t be afraid to put yourself on a pedestal. Elaborate all of your abilities using action verbs. These are terms that describe things in a more dressy way. To find these words, search the term ‘action verbs’ on a search engine.

The fifth and final element in the basic outline of a resume is one that is optional. It includes any professional memberships, volunteer work or hobbies you have participated in that may relate in some way to the job you are applying for. Keep in mind that the basic outline of a resume can have these sections omitted if you have no experience in dealing with these things.

How To Write a Resume

Many people have trouble writing their first resume. If you’re wondering how to write a resume, then you shouldn’t worry, because it’s a lot simpler than you might think. All it takes is a bit of time!

Gather Basic Information

When you sit down to write your first resume, you should start by gathering some information about yourself. Make sure you have your phone number, email address and street address written down. Write down information about your college and university degrees, including your majors, GPAs and what you did while in the program. You need to also write down your job experience (if any), along with what you did in the job, what dates you worked at the job and who your supervisor was. If you don’t have any job experience, write down any volunteer or internship work you did that relates to the job you want to apply for. Finally, write down a list of your hobbies or other miscellaneous skills that you might have, such as playing an instrument or participating in a sport.

Write You Resume

When you have all of this information in hand, you can then proceed to writing your resume. If you wish, you can utilize a resume template, such as those that are included with Microsoft Word, or which can be found on the internet. When you start writing your resume, list all of your personal and contact information at the top, so that the employer can quickly get in touch with you if they need to. Next, list all of your educational experience, along with your degrees, schools you attended and any courses you took that have direct implications to the job you are applying for. After your educational experience, you should list the jobs that you have held. If you haven’t had any jobs, then list any volunteer work you’ve done or any internships or work study programs you participated in while in school. Employers love to see volunteer work just as much as regular jobs, so be sure you include this if you’ve done any of it. Finally, give a brief overview of your hobbies and any interesting things you might do. Including this information shows the employer that you are a real person who enjoys things other than just work, which is very important in most companies. Be sure to avoid ‘telling all’, however, and don’t include things that the company might find offensive, even if you don’t find it so.

If you follow these steps on how to write a resume, you should be well on your way to creating a resume that catches the eyes of potential employers and gets you the job that you want!

Write a Free Resume

Even if you’re short on cash, you can learn to write your own resume.

The easiest way to do this is to look for free resume templates online.

Do a search for “free resume templates”, “free downloadable resume templates” or “free resume samples”. You will be able to find a resume template to suit your needs.

Even though you may consider free resume templates a good deal, there is a downside if you download them. The threat of adware and spyware is ever present when downloading free items. Make sure you have a virus scanner on your computer in the event you encounter this.

Study the resume templates to see which one fits your employment needs.

Choose Best Resume Format

Use the resume template that best fits your employment situation. For instance, if you have a steady and solid employment history with no gaps, you can use a chronological resume template. If you’re looking to change careers or have gaps in your employment history, a functional resume template would be your best bet. If you’re looking to specifically emphasize select skills that match the job position you’re applying for, a targeted resume template would work.

Content for Free Resume

Whatever resume template you choose, look at the headings to see what information you’ll have to provide. If you don’t have all the information available, do what you need to get it. It’s helpful to have a listing of your previous employment listed somewhere where you can readily access it. You may not be able to remember your employment history from years back. If you don’t remember your education information, like college or university data, you can contact the facility and they can provide it for you. You may have to present your request in writing, along with a nominal fee. Be sure to include any accomplishments that relate to the job position you’re applying for. This is important, because the employer can see that you have some experience in that particular field.

Proofread Your Resume

Your resume should be formatted properly, with the margins no less than one inch on both sides. If the margins are less than one inch, your resume will look awkward. You must employ spell check with your resume. Also, have someone proofread it several times. Even though spell check is good, it shouldn’t be solely relied upon for misspelled words and grammatical errors.

Using free resume templates may not be the cream of the crop for some, but it can help your resume get results if used properly.

Resume Example

When I met with my college counselor to talk about potential job positions he mentioned to me the benefit of having a good resume.

He went on for a good hour about how the right resume will land me the job of my dreams. I left there excited and when I got back to my dorm room I sat down to write my amazing resume and I got as far as my name. I had no idea where to begin. I needed help and I needed help fast.

I found a book on resumes at the library and while it gave me good information I still had no idea on how my resume should look. I needed a good resume example to guide me as I wrote my resume. I made an appointment at career services and it was there I was able to find resume examples. I was able to use these examples as a blue print for my own resume.

Search Resume Examples

Nowadays it is a lot simpler to find a resume sample than it was when I needed one. Technology has advanced so much since then that all one needs to do is turn on their computer and they will be able to do a search for a resume example and be shown examples of every type and style of resumes.

It is a good idea to use a resume example if you are unsure of where to begin. Examples can show you what employers are looking for and what you should stay away from. In fact some of the examples you might find online are written by professional resume writers and if used correctly can land you the job you have always wanted.

Resume examples can show you the different styles of resumes and the different types of headers so you can decide which one works best for you. These examples also show you the format a resume so you know what to follow. In fact you can find some resume examples for almost any career field to show you what details you should include and what details you should leave out.

There are some people who might balk at the idea of using a resume example to help them develop their resume. They feel using a resume example is almost as bad as falsifying information. You are not passing the example off as your own; you are simply using it as a model for your own. It was from following a good resume example that I was able to draft my own resume.

Senior Sales Representative

Senior Sales Representative Sample Resume

Using free sample resumes is a great way to start your senior sales representative resume.

Our website provides a wealth of free information and examples to help you make a great resume.

Writing a resume does not have to be tough if you get the correct advice and help.

By reviewing our free sample resumes you can determine which resume format is your best choice. Be it functional, skills based or chronological.