What are some tips for creating an excellent resume?

Answer 1

Here is an article with a lot of resume tips. Good luck!

Answer 2

Most of the Internet web sites mentioned cover how to create contents, so I will try to mention some tips that are not commonly mentioned.

Basic stuff like:
- No typo and spelling error
- Use consistent formatting style. For example, if you end a bullet point with a period, then do it consistently through out. And same number of blank lines between sections etc.
- Be brief and concise
- Be clear. Particularly what you want to do and the role you are seeking. For example, don't say I want to be a "Manager". Keep in mind the reviewer (whether HR, recruiter, or hiring manager) only have 2 seconds (5 seconds top) to read your resume. If the resume doesn't tell them what you want and grab their attention right away, you are history.
- Skip the "Reference available upon request." Companies assume this already, so it is a waste of space.
- Do not include personal demographic data, such as birthday and photo. I see this most often with applicants from Asian and Middle Eastern culture. It is illegal for US companies to ask such questions, and therefore don't include them.

More serious tips:
- Do not leave gaps in your resume. That means the reader should be able to account for how you spent your years from school to current date.
- Companies have their own unique vocabulary to describe a role or professional terminology. When all possible, do some research about the company and use their vocabulary in your resume instead.
- Develop a forward looking resume. Maybe you are applying for a software analyst role. Then try imaging what the next career step is for a software analyst at company A or research the company web site if the software project manager role is also open. So you can incorporate how you might contribute to the company in 3-5 year time.
- Fix up your resume so that it looks good without any special formatting. In most places, the first thing company does with a resume is entering into their candidate tracking system. Part of this process is to copy and past the text of your resume. Often time format in Word are not translatable, and nicely formatted bullet become "?6#>> in their system and make the document difficult to read.
- If you are applying via e-mail, use the main body of the e-mail as the space for your cover letter. Remember they only have 2-5 seconds to get your information. So don't ask the reader to open one attachment for your cover letter and another for your resume.

Best wishes.

Answer 3

The link below is to a web site that has a lot of information about resume writing. Look around. You don't have to pay anything to read all of the examples and templates, either.