Professional Resumes

Building and maintaining a professional network will be an ongoing task throughout one’s career. Likewise, crafting a professional resume is a crucial element of the job search. In this section we’ll discuss the steps of developing your professional resume and how organizations use them during the hiring process.


A professional resume is essential in helping secure a job interview. Your resume must be polished, professional, and stand out from the many other applicants being considered for the position. The average recruiter or hiring manager will spend only six to seven seconds looking at a candidate’s resume (Indeed, 2021). Therefore, when designing a resume, it should be done using a template that is organized and visually appealing. Further, it should speak to the specifics of the job description and highlight your achievements. Most importantly, your resume must be free of grammatical or spelling errors.


There are many resume formats, styles, and designs that you can follow, and it may be challenging to determine which format to use. While there is no correct format, most resumes will follow one of four common styles.

  1. A chronological resume lists your job experiences in reverse chronological order starting with the most recent job and working backwards toward your first job.

  2. The functional resume is organized around your talents, skills, and abilities. It emphasizes specific professional capabilities, like what you have done or can do. Specific dates may be included, but are not as important. This format may work well for new graduates entering a field with little to no actual work experience.

  3. A hybrid or combination resume has features of both the functional and chronological approaches. It highlights relevant skills, but still provides relevant information about your work experience.

  4. Video, infographic, and Website formats are best suited for people in multimedia and creative careers. Keep in mind, however, some human resource departments may not permit submission of any format other than paper based.


Remember, employers may spend only a few seconds reviewing each resume, so the best format is the one that allows a recruiter or hiring manager to easily review your previous work experience in a logical way.


Ideally, your resume should be limited to one, single-spaced page and make effective use of white space. As you gain more experience, your resume may extend beyond one page; but it remains important to use a consistent format and impressive design. Incorporate bold headings and make sure the content is easy to read and understand.


In addition to attention to format and design, you must be able to highlight your strengths in a way that speaks directly to the job call or description. What skills and accomplishments do you possess that help establish you as a qualified candidate? Be aware of the job description and then ask yourself how you match the preferred and required qualifications.


According to the Indeed video below, there are 5 resume tips that will get you noticed:

  1. Incorporate keywords from the job description

  2. Highlight your hard skills

  3. Highlight your soft skills

  4. Be specific when listing achievements

  5. Spend time editing and proofreading