Building a **good resume** is about presenting your skills, experience, and
achievements in a clear, concise, and professional way so employers can quickly see
why you’re a strong candidate. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
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## 📝 1. Choose the Right Resume Format
* **Reverse chronological (most common):** Lists your most recent experience first.
Best for most professionals.
* **Functional:** Focuses on skills instead of work history. Useful for career
changers or those with gaps.
* **Combination:** Mix of both—skills at the top, then work history. Good for
people with diverse experiences.
---
## 📌 2. Essential Sections to Include
1. **Header**
* Name, phone, email, LinkedIn, portfolio/GitHub (if relevant).
2. **Professional Summary (2–4 lines)**
* A short elevator pitch of who you are, what you’ve done, and what you bring.
* Example: *"Data analyst with 3+ years of experience in SQL, Python, and
visualization tools. Skilled at turning complex datasets into actionable
insights."*
3. **Skills**
* A bulleted list of hard skills (technical, tools, languages).
* Keep them relevant to the job you’re applying for.
4. **Work Experience**
* Use **reverse chronological order**.
* For each role: Job Title | Company | Location | Dates
* Use **bullet points** (3–5 max) focusing on achievements, not just
responsibilities.
* Use **action verbs**: *led, developed, achieved, improved, implemented*.
* Wherever possible, **quantify results** (e.g., *"Increased sales by 15% in 6
months"*).
5. **Education**
* Degree, school, graduation year.
* Include honors, GPA (if recent and strong), or relevant coursework.
6. **Extra Sections (optional)**
* Certifications (e.g., AWS, PMP, Google Analytics)
* Projects (great for students/tech roles)
* Volunteer work (if relevant)
* Awards or publications
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## 🎯 3. Tailor for Each Job
* Match **keywords** from the job description (many companies use ATS software to
scan resumes).
* Highlight the **most relevant skills and achievements**.
* Cut irrelevant experience—focus only on what strengthens your application.
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## 🎨 4. Keep It Clean & Professional
* Length: **1 page** (2 pages if you have 10+ years of experience).
* Font: Simple (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Helvetica).
* Font size: 10–12 pt (headers slightly bigger).
* No fancy graphics unless you’re in a creative field.
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## ✅ 5. Final Checks
* Proofread—avoid typos and grammatical errors.
* Keep tense consistent (past jobs in past tense, current role in present).
* Save as **PDF** unless job posting asks otherwise.
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👉 If you’d like, you can share your **career field and experience level**, and I
can draft a **resume template tailored to you**. Do you want me to create a ready-
to-use **resume template** for you?
