Updated June 2022: Takeaways in creating/updating your resume (+ my example and template)
*Note: Upon my professional years, research, and conversations with employers/applicants alike, I must first establish that there is still no one right way to create a resume. Everything below are my personal opinions, so take it with a grain of salt.
Do the words “submit resume/cv here” make you shiver a bit? It was surely daunting to me, especially when I had zero experience as a student and was trying to apply to different programs. I never really felt like my resume really represented who I was.
But here are two big takeaways that I have learned after 1) Applying to many different opportunities and 2) Having read 300+ resumes for various brand’s team searches, including my own companies’:
1) It’s not really supposed to show your personality. It’s supposed to be a quick summation of your experiences/skills. Companies that really value you will have lots of places in their application process for you to share that — things like cover letters, additional questions on your goals, etc.
2) That being said, take the pressure off to make it perfect. It can and should be really simple, because the people who are reading it are probably only spending 60-90s reading it anyways.
So here are some of my tips on creating and updating a resume, regardless of how much experience you have.
1. Quantify everything.
How many articles did you write for your blog? How many people attended the event you hosted? How many photos did you take for your photography Instagram last year?
Doesn’t matter if it’s the # of people, word count, $, or what — numbers jump out quickly to authenticate your expertise.
2. Include hyperlinks.
Especially if you worked with smaller companies and start ups, don’t waste time explaining what the innovative new tech patent-pending product/service hybrid is, just hyperlink to a website or Instagram. This allows employers to further dig in themselves, as well as authenticating this experience in general.
3. Include 2-3 quick sentences about you. I recommend your background, overview of your expertise, and your goals now.
Here is my example:
That last sentence is also your opportunity to tailor your resume for different opportunities. I have read that some people rewrite/tailor their resumes completely for each brand, but honestly what a headache. For me personally, since I don’t have that many experiences to draw from anyways, I would prefer to tailor this one sentence instead.
For example:
If I wanted to work in graphic design → I am now looking to apply my social media skills in graphic design in a start up environment.
If I wanted business experience in general → I am now looking to think critically in a diverse business environment and explore the technology field under the mentorship of an established company.
And here are a few points that I have found to always been heavily disputed for resumes and my quick thoughts:
Should I add a photo? → I did, mostly to add a bit more “personality” since I thought everything felt really dry and clinical, which is personally not my vibe.
Should I add soft skills → I also did so since most of my experience is entrepreneurial and I want to work with/lead small start up teams, so I thought highlighting these would be relevant.
1 page or 2 pages? → I have a lot of big and unique experiences that I wanted to share, so I opted for two. I think the general rule of thumb is 2 max, and if I could fit it all into 1 I would prefer that.
How much to design it? → Since much of my work is creative and graphic design is a skill of mine, I deemed it unfitting to not add some colour. I personally prefer it this way. If I could add confetti and fireworks I would do that too.
And finally, here is my own personal resume in a .Pages template form to download.
Happy resume writing!**