How to write a Professional Resume | Choose the right Resume Format

To start with, writing a professional resume could seem a very onerous task to do. The thought of making it stand out and to strike a note, could make the whole process of writing a professional resume a lot more fearful if not frustrating.

Nevertheless, if you are properly informed, then writing a well-crafted professional resume is not meant to be rocket science. When you give yourself to it and all it’s intrigues it even becomes leisure and enjoyable.

To help you overcome, this guide has been created. With this guide i hope to make this document upon which the four pillars of your future and career depend, a really easy thing to compose.

Am going to put you through on how to structure its various parts, explore different wonderful patterns in putting its structure together, and share expert and proven tips on how to make your professional resume a well thought-out and beautifully created document.

With that you can be proud of show-casing it anywhere and even submitting it on online platforms while seeking job openings.

What is a professional resume?

Before we delve into the intrigues of a well-worded professional resume, it is important to understand what a resume is.

A professional resume is a carefully crafted summary of your previous experiences, skills you may have obtained and level of education to which you have reached. It is necessary to note that a resume is quite different from curriculum vitae or CV.

While a CV takes a holistic look into your past career and experience, work and a complete look into your education and qualification written in an extensive way, a resume is a summary of your past work experience covering just about 10 years back together with your education and qualification.

While CV is more or less for general purpose, a resume is tailored towards the particular job opening being applied for and may not be longer than two pages.

Types of Professional Resume

As has become a very common trend among resume writers, there are three kinds of identifiable resume, namely:

• A professional functional resume
• A professional chronological resume
• A professional combination resume

What is a Professional Functional Resume?

This kind of professional resume is best suited for people who are trying to find their way into a new industry. It is a kind of professional resume that emphasizes how relevant or related your previous work experience is to the one you are now applying for.

When should you write a functional skills résumé?

To make the best out of this kind of resume, you should focus more and highlight your past work experience that is closely related to the job in view. The emphasis is to show your acquisition of related experience and to impress your potential employer.

What is a Professional chronological resume?

This seems to be the most common type of professional resume you will come across. This professional resume dwells more on the history of your work experience. In this kind of professional resume recent positions held are listed in a reverse chronological order.

How to create a professional chronological resume

The most recent positions occupied are placed on top and the older ones are placed below them. The main aim is to prove to your potential recruiter how qualified and competent you are for the work as a result of recent work experiences which have ultimately prepared you for the job you are applying for.

What is a Professional Combination Resume?

Just like the name already suggests, this is a kind of professional resume which combines the two kinds of resume discussed. It draws from relevant work experience of the chronological professional resume and the professionalism gained from positions held.

This kind of resume is very powerful in that it captures the relevant work experiences as well as professional and related positions one has occupied. It stands out to hiring managers as it emphasizes your skills while also mentioning your experience.

The Structure and Pattern of a Professional Resume

Generally, there is no rule of thumb as to how a resume should be structured or patterned. Nevertheless, a well-structured professional resume should include the following details:

• Educational background
• Work experience
• Relevant skills learnt
• Professional summary
• Header and contact information
• Additional knowledge and experience

Educational Background

Almost all job openings require some level of education and exposure. It, therefore, becomes necessary to include and capture your educational background. This should not take too much space though. It will be enough to just mention educational levels completed, schools attended and years of graduation.

Work experience

This is the most critical aspect of a professional resume. This is the place where you take out time to put down every detail of your previous work experience. This has to be done in a very interesting and compelling manner. It should include roles played and titles held, date of employment, companies worked with. It should also include locations of companies you worked with while also pointing out strategic roles you may have played and additional recognition gained. It should also capture your accomplishments while working there.

This section is important as potential hiring managers would be on the lookout to compare your skills and personal experience with those required for the job at hand. The point is to ensure that your work experience stands out from the rest!

Relevant Skills Learnt

This used to be a less important aspect of a resume. But to prepare a professional resume that stands out you should carefully outline and detail the kind of relevant skills you may have learned over the years which gives you an edge over other applicants. The truth is nowadays hirers and recruiters are on the lookout for people with additional skills and knowledge coupled with additional qualifications and background.

Professional summary

This section gives potential hirers quick overview of what you stand for. It normally comes after the objective statement ( which focuses on your skills and who you are). Professional summary when included in your professional resume gives potential employers what to expect and what you have to contribute to the growth and development of the company. It captures in a few sentences who you are and what you have to contribute to the growth of the company if taken. It is not compulsory, though.

Header and contact information

You should always put your contact details, including phone numbers, personal email, links to social profiles and or personal websites. This would help managers and potential recruiters to identify the right owner of which resume. However, it should be made prominent in other not to be overlooked.

Additional knowledge and experience

This should normally come at the tail end of your professional resume. It would capture extra awards and accolades gained, fellowships achieved and extra recognition including volunteer services rendered. You shouldn’t be too long on this, anyway, as it shouldn’t distract a potential recruiting manager from your skills and experience.

In summary, below are some tips to create a professional resume

• Start by choosing the right resume format
• Include your name and contact information
• Add a resume summary or objective
• List your soft and hard skills
• List your professional history with keywords
• Include an education section
• Consider adding optional sections
• Format your resume

With this you should be able to know how to write an outstanding professional resume. But just before then, do not forget to include a resume objective. This is quite different from professional summary. It should sit at the top of your professional resume. The resume objective should capture your future goals, ambitions and expectations which you hope to achieve with the company if hired.