Outline of a Resume Made Easy!

Outline of a Resume Made Easy!

Outline of a Resume

Completing an outline of a resume can help you whether you are doing your first resume or looking to polish the one you have already done. Filling out an outline is a great way to ease into Building a Resume if you haven't done one before.

If you are like me, completing an outline was my least favorite task whenever I was required to do it in school. I disliked being forced to formulate my thinking in a focused, content-rich manner! However, this is exactly the benefit you will gain by creating an outline of a resume - focus & content!

A Great Resume is Worth the Effort

A great resume that markets you effectively will be the best investment of your time and money you can make in your job search. Whether you are already employed and looking to upgrade your position, or if you've recently become unemployed, your time is money!

Resume Outline

Section 1: Objective or
Professional Summary

A. Experience
B. Industry / Occupation
C. Results or Specialized Training
D. Qualities Targeted

Section 2: Skill Summary

Section 3: Employment History

Section 4: Education

Section 5: Honors / Awards

Section 6: Professional Memberships

A focused resume will enable your job search process to be more effective and place you in the job you are seeking quicker. So take your time, compile all your details, and it will be easier to build a great resume when you are done.

Creating Your Outline

Here is a suggested outline that you can use. As you complete this outline, work through and answer the questions listed in each section. This will help you formulate and strengthen your wording and give your resume great focus.

Section 1: Objective or
Professional Summary

In my opinion, there is nothing worse than a bland, cookie cutter objective. If an employer is looking at 200 resumes for a position, you absolutely don't want yours to look the same as the other 200.

If you have decided to use an objective, target your statement to each position and company you are applying for.

Make your Objective or Professional Summary targeted and personal.

I prefer using a Professional Summary because it conveys succinctly in 2-3 sentences at the top of the resume why the employer should interview you.

Here are some questions to ask yourself with regard to the position you are applying for:

1) How many years of experience do I have doing this occupation?

2) What industry did I gain the experience in?

3) What significant results have I achieved that I could summarize here?

4) Do I possess any specialized training in this occupational field?

5) What qualities did the employer state they were looking for in the advertisement?

Professional Summary
Fill In Form

Now that you have completed answering the Section 1 questions, use your answers in this form to create your Professional Summary:

(Quality) individual with (# Years experience) achieving (your results) in (Occupational Field). (In this sentence, you can include any outstanding quality you possess that the employer is looking for). Proficient in (specialized training or computer skills).

Professional Summary Example

"Motivated individual with over ten years experience achieving outstanding results in Contract Management and Business Support. Proactive approach to problem solving. Proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Publisher Software Packages."

Advance to Section 2: Skill Summary