If you don't have any experience, you should focus on your skills and relevant side projects, and pair your resume with a strong cover letter. Your resume should contain no more than five bullets per page. The recruiters are unlikely to spend too much time looking through a lengthy document. It is therefore important to keep the content brief and to the point.
Format
When creating your resume, it's important to ensure it is properly formatted. These formatting guidelines will help you create a winning resume. First of all, make sure that your headings are at level 1. Microsoft Word users can add headings using alt + control + 1.
Layout
Layout of the resume should highlight skills and experience. While the format should be similar to a functional resume, the experience section should have more detail. Contact information should include your name, address and email. You can also include your website. Your resume objective should summarize your skills and career objectives. Your skills section should contain a list and one to two sentences description of each skill.
Be sure to include both hard and soft abilities
Hard skills are essential abilities that are needed to perform a job. These skills can be acquired through education, certification, and practical experience. Soft skills are subjective and difficult to measure. Software coders might have to know how to use Microsoft Excel or Photoshop. A music teacher may need to be able to play the piano and learn certain teaching techniques.
Avoid cliches
Resume cliches can be overused phrases that don't add any value to your resume. Some examples of these phrases are "team player", "hardworking" and others. You can look stale and generic if you use too many clichés. Instead of focusing on your accomplishments, talk about how they help the team or the organization.
High school diplomas are also acceptable
When creating a resume, include a high school diploma if you have one. Employers often check resumes for education information. It's best to be true to your qualifications. If you don't have a high school diploma, make sure to include your GPA. You can also include your high school honors or awards.
Avoid long unemployment gaps
It's normal for you to be worried about the impact of long work absences on your resume. But, you can manage your concerns by improving your skillset and remaining actively involved in your career. Consider learning new certifications or attending workshops. Even volunteering can prove useful. It will show potential employers that you care about the community and are relevant for the position you're applying for.