Building a Resume

 Importantly what you have learnt to date is there are many factors to consider in developing a great resume however the ’best fit’ for you, will depend on your history to date, and also the role you are seeking.  With this said, read all this information and consider a number of approaches and once you have completed your resume put yourself in the shoes of a prospective employer and consider improvements to the document.

What’s the best resume font?
Every job candidate wants to put their best font forward, particularly when it comes to their resume. Here are the best fonts for resume writing – see how they weigh in with your favourites.
Before you land the job interview, you have to pique the hiring manager's interest with a strong resume. And while certain things are always true – like the fact that experience, skills and ability trump more superficial aspects like your resume style – your resume should still impress across the board. That means keeping look-and-feel in mind, especially when considering resume fonts.
Arial – This is a standard resume font, but it's not particularly sophisticated. It's a sans serif font that many of us are familiar with, especially when browsing the internet, but it may border on banal. Nonetheless, Arial is a safe bet.

How to create the perfect resume layout
Having a well-presented resume is critical to securing your perfect job. It’s not enough to have great content; your resume layout needs to be easy-to-read, professional and appealing.
Imagine that you are a hiring manager. You’re looking through dozens – or even hundreds – of resumes. You’re also looking for any excuse to disregard a resumes so that you can quickly create a shortlist of the cream of the crop. If you come across a resume layout that looks unprofessional and isn’t easy to follow, you’ll send it straight to the trash.
Here’s our checklist for nailing your resume layout
Keep it short. A resume should be 2-4 pages maximum. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have; you need to be able to communicate it in 2-4 pages. In fact, the more experience you have, the better you should be at articulating very succinctly why you are the best person for the job.
Cover the basics. Ensure your document includes your name, up-to-date contact details, summary, qualifications and work history.
Order counts. List everything in chronological order, starting with your most recent role. Employers are usually most interested in your most recent work experience; however, they will scan the rest of your resume for other relevant experience. Their expectation will be that you will follow a reverse chronological order in your resume layout, and you must meet that expectation.
Keep it simple. Your resume format should be easy to read. This isn’t a time to experiment with unusual fonts or complex and colourful layouts. A clean, white background is best and use a well-used font like Times New Roman or Arial.
Use bullet points. Bullet points are essential to helping your employer navigate through the document. List your day-to-day responsibilities as a series of bullet points, with an achievement against each bullet point. If your bullet point runs over more than two or three lines, it’s a good indication that you might be waffling and need to articulate your experience more succinctly.
 Tell (and sell) your story. Your resume should tell the story of your career. Your summary should carefully articulate your experience and skills, and should be tailored to the role that you are applying for. Think of it like the blurb on the back of a book, where you are convincing the reader why they should invest more time in reading it. Then, when listing your work history, start in reverse chronological order, listing your work experience and achievements as relevant to the role. They should ladder up to the summary to persuade the hiring manager why you are the best person for the job.
Weight appropriately. Allocate more space to your most recent, and most relevant roles. Don’t delete any roles that aren’t relevant, but allocate less space so that your employer can spend more time on the roles that will make a difference to his or her impression of you.
Be an objective editor. Read your resume with fresh eyes, and remove any information that isn’t relevant to the role you are applying for. Having less, but more relevant information is likely to make a greater professional impact than having several pages of generic text.
Have your resume proofread. If you can, ask a trusted friend to proofread your resume. If your resume has any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors, it can be a nail in your recruitment coffin, no matter how perfect your resume layout may be.
Your resume is your best representation of your professional abilities, skills, work history and experience. If the resume layout is right, it can help convince your potential employer of your suitability for the job. If the resume format is wrong, you will most likely not even land an interview.

Online resume - making sure your resume stands out online
Increasingly, employers are interested to see your digital resume. A digital resume is, as it sounds, a resume that is readily accessible online via your own or a third-party platform.
In creating an online resume, there are many different options available. You can take a full ‘bells-and-whistles’ approach, and build your own website or create a video to create a big impact. Or you can leverage an existing networking platform, such as LinkedIn. You can also use a free online resume builder.
An online resume has the advantage of being discoverable by potential employers, but also has the disadvantage of not being tailored to suit a specific role that you may be going for. While they certainly have their place and will become increasingly more important, digital resumes are best used in conjunction with a more traditional, off-line resume.
You can never invest too much time in crafting the perfect resume. Even if you get the basics right, there are important nuances to consider that will help ensure that your resume gets to the top of the pile.
 10 Best Skills to Include on a Resume
The skills section of your resume shows employers you have the abilities required to succeed in the role. Often, employers pay special attention to the skills section of your resume to determine if you should move on to the next step of the hiring process. In this article, we examine 10 important skills to include on a resume, as well as tips on how to best craft the skills section of your resume.
Active listening
Communication
Computer skills
Customer service
Interpersonal skills
Leadership
Management skills
Problem-solving
Time management
Transferable skills
 
1. Active listening skills
Active listening is the ability to focus completely on a speaker, understand their message, comprehend the information and respond thoughtfully. Active listeners use verbal and nonverbal techniques to show and keep their attention on the speaker. Developing and using active listening skills can show your colleagues that you are engaged and have an interest in the project or task at hand.
Related listening skills include:
Asking questions
Note-taking
Organization
Punctuality
Verbal/nonverbal communication

2. Communication skills
Communication skills are the abilities you use when giving and receiving different kinds of information. Some examples include communicating ideas, feelings or what’s happening around you. Communication skills involve listening, speaking, observing and empathizing. Having strong communication skills is important in every industry at every career level.
Related communications skills include:
Active listening
Constructive criticism
Interpersonal communication
Public speaking
Verbal/nonverbal communication
Written communication

3. Computer skills
Computer skills involve the ability to learn and operate various technology. Hardware skills allow you to physically operate a computer and can be as simple as knowing how to turn devices on and off. Software skills help you to efficiently use computer programs and applications. There are some software skills that employers may consider as prerequisites to employment, like using spreadsheets or knowing a certain coding language.
Related computer skills include:
Typing/word processing
Fluency in coding languages
Systems administration
Spreadsheets
Email management

4. Customer service skills
Customer service skills are traits and practices that help you address customer needs to create a positive experience. In general, customer service skills rely heavily on problem-solving and communication. Customer service is often considered a “soft skill,” including traits like active listening and reading both verbal and nonverbal cues.
Related customer service skills:
Active listening
Empathy
Interpersonal skills
Problem-solving
Reliability

5. Interpersonal skills
Interpersonal skills are traits you rely on when you interact and communicate with others. They cover a variety of scenarios where cooperation is essential. Developing interpersonal skills is important to work efficiently with others, solve problems and lead projects or teams.
Related interpersonal skills include:
Communication
Empathy
Flexibility
Leadership
Patience
 6. Leadership skills
Leadership skills are skills you use when organizing other people to reach a shared goal. Whether you’re in a management position or leading a project, leadership skills require you to motivate others to complete a series of tasks, often according to a schedule.
Related leadership skills:
Ability to teach and mentor
Flexibility
Risk-taking
Team building
Time management

7. Management skills
Managerial skills are qualities that help you govern both tasks and people. A good manager is organized, empathetic and communicates clearly to support a team or project. Managers should also be adept in both soft skills and certain technical skills related to their industry.
Related management skills:
Decision-making
Project planning
Task delegation
Team communication
Team leadership
 
8. Problem-solving skills
Problem-solving skills are qualities that help you determine the source of a problem and quickly find an effective solution. This skill is highly valued in any role for every industry. Solving problems in your role might require certain industry or job-specific technical skills.
Related problem-solving skills:
Attention to detail
Collaboration
Communication
Patience
Research

9. Time management skills
Time management skills allow you to complete tasks and projects before deadlines while also maintaining work-life balance. Staying organized can help you allocate your workday to specific tasks by importance. Deeply understanding your individual, team and company goals can provide a starting point when deciding how to manage your time.
Related time management skills:
Delegating tasks
Focus
Goal setting
Organization
Prioritization
 
10. Transferable skills
Transferable skills are qualities that are useful to any employer as you change jobs or careers. Often soft skills, these might include things like flexibility, organization, teamwork or other qualities employers seek in strong candidates. Transferable skills can be used to position your past experience when applying for a new job—especially if it’s in a different industry.
Related transferable skills:
Ambition
Creativity
Empathy
Leadership
Teamwork
 
If you’re not sure which skills you want to share, consider your previous experiences. Where did you excel? Where would your peers say you’re especially practiced? Here are a few ways to determine good skills to put on a resume:
Consider your awards and achievements
Did you ever receive recognition for meeting a particular objective or excelling in a specific area? If so, your skills likely assisted you in reaching this achievement. Consider what personal talents or attributes helped you meet that milestone.
Ask former coworkers or fellow students
Sometimes others can help note strengths you may not recognize yourself. Reach out to a former manager or colleagues who worked closely with you. If you’re new to the professional world, reach out to students you worked with, teachers who know you well or someone you consider a mentor.
 
Talk to professionals in the field
If you’re having a difficult time determining what skills an employer may want to see, consider contacting a professional already working in the industry or position similar to the one you’re applying for. Find out what skills they consider most important, and identify which align with your own.
 Activity 1 : In the previous sessions today you have developed the following:
Elevator pitch
3 top hard skills
3 top soft skills
Include these in your current resume and take some time to consider all that you have read today and what approach suits your resume.

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* 1. There is no right or wrong answer to this question : do you have any hobbies and interests you think you should include in your resume.

Why should you include or not include them.

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* 2. List below five skills from the abovementioned “10 skills to include on your resume” that best describes you. From the descriptors provided above weave these into your resume.

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* 3. Can you describe one other way to improve or strengthen your current resume.

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* 4.  If you would like your trainer to take a look at your resume please ask for their email address and send through to them to provide feedback.

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* 5. Student Details

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