Writing or updating your resume may appear to be a tough task but that shouldn’t be the case. The hiring officials will have to go through your resume and that may be a bit scary for you, maybe because you feel inadequate for the task. You don't have to worry anymore. I have identified a couple of tips that can ease the process for you. They will guide you in either writing or update your curriculum vitae. A good resume doesn't take much. Simplicity is key. A good CV will minimize on the fancy stuff and focus more on the objective in mind.

Thanks to the internet, some online platforms are available for you to utilize when writing or updating that resume. The writing tips are at your disposal for use, have a look at them:

1.The Format

Your resume must take the appropriate format. The appropriate format being what works for that particular type of employment. Formatting is crucial since it will determine whether your resume will be put into consideration or not. Formatting, in this case, refers to a number of things. First, how well you’ve organized your resume, for example, using only one font type and size. Second, how you’ve organized your resume, does it have flow? Etc.

Most recruitment officials restrict the use of fancy fonts and color. It will, therefore, be prudent not to use such fonts and limit on the color. But don't make it dull. Since most curriculum vitae are used electronically, using standard fonts such as Arial, Tahoma, Book Antiqua, Cambria, Times New Roman and Calibri among others will be of value. Fancy fonts are good but may not work well on other PCs and also, printing your resume may pose a challenge.

What organization do you want to use in your document? The best way to do this is to have sections in your resume. A section of your contact information, profile, objectives, skills, work experience, education, etc. If you’re updating your CV, then you'll definitely have an achievements section highlighting some of your career successes. This should be your main section, rather than education, as in the case of straight out of school job seekers.

Different resume types are available. Some take on a more chronological approach while some are functional and others targeted. The good thing is that you could combine all of them and depend on your circumstances, you can customize it to suit your needs.

Contact Information

The following information should be included in your contacts section;

• Full names

• Street address

• Zip Code

• City and State

• Email Address

• LinkedIn Profiles

• Cell Phone number

They don’t necessarily appear in that order though. For safety reasons, most individuals prefer not to have their physical address included, mainly because most of these CVs are uploaded online where anyone can have a look. You can never be too careful, the online world has its dangers.

Objectives

This particular section was once considered a crucial part when writing your CV. This isn’t the case anymore and it’s preferred that you rather list your achievements and skills. Therefore, let your readers know your qualifications and accomplishments in place of your objectives.

2.How Long Should Your Resume Be

The rule of thumb here is to always to keep it short. However, this varies with the years of experience one has had in the job market. A professional resume could have 2 or 3 pages maximum depending on the years of experience while a recent graduates should not have more than one page. The important thing here is really not the number of pages but rather keeping it short and precisely to the point. One needs to avoid using too many words to describe a particular point - go directly to the point! The people who are going to read your CV don’t have the time to go over wordy resumes.

3.Have a Software Friendly Resume

Currently, it’s not enough to tailor your resume to be understood by human readers only. Instead, you ought to put non-human readers, mainly software into consideration. This is because a large number of people are applying for employment opportunities and employers use software to identify the most suitable candidates. Therefore, two things are important here. One is that you try and utilize resume keywords. This will be based on the particular job one is seeking.

Secondly, one has to utilize a mixture of both verbs and nouns. This is mainly because human readers will tend to put emphasis on verbs, but the software will check on the nouns. In general, ensure that your CV can pass both human and software tests.

4.Proofread Your Resume

This is a crucial and significant stage when writing your resume. You have to thoroughly go through your CV an unlimited number of times until you feel that it’s satisfactory. We tend to err when writing and proofreading helps correct such mistakes. When you proofread, you get to add points that you may have left out, remove the ones you feel are irrelevant and format your document.

A number of online platforms provide resume editing options, and it would be unfortunate for you if you didn't take advantage of these services. You could even enlist the help of a professional resume writer to help perfect your CV.

Conclusion

Writing your resume may appear to be a difficult task, but it’s very simple once you’ve mastered these tips. How difficult can it be? Your CV is about you and nobody else - that should be simple! With research and the right tools at hand, you’ll be good to go. Remember that you have the liberty of accessing professional help if you feel stuck. Otherwise, writing or updating your CV is quite easy. Be on point and have the relevant information and it should be well.