The 5 best resume services for Lethbridge
Teamworks career center
| Website | https://www.teamworktraining.ca/ |
| Phone | 403-382-3770 |
| Address | #300, 704 4 Ave S. Lethbridge, AB T1J 0N8 |
| Working hours | Monday to Thursday 9am–4pm Friday 9am–4pm |
Training Inc. Vocational School & Employment Services
| Website | https://traininginc.ca/ |
| Phone | 403-320-5100 |
| Address | 444 – 5th Avenue South Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 0T5 |
| Working hours | Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
SkyHigh Resumes Lethbridge – Resume Writers Lethbridge
| Website | https://skyhighresumes.com/ |
| Phone | (778) 765-2852 |
| Address | 1037 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC |
| Working hours | Monday – Thursday 9am–6pm Friday 9am–6pm |
Expert Resume Writer Calgary
| Website | https://expertresumewriter.ca/ |
| Phone | (403) 479-9807 |
| Address | 500 4th Avenue South West Altius Centre, Suite 2500, Calgary, T2P 2V6 |
| Working hours | Monday – Thursday 9am–6pm Friday 9am–6pm |
Wordscapes® Resume Service
| Website | https://www.wordscapes.ca/ |
| Phone | (403) 288-8911 |
| Address | Suite 400, 7015 Macleod Trail SW, Calgary, Alberta T2H 2K6 |
| Working hours | Monday – Thursday 8:30am–5pm Friday 8:30am–5pm Saturday 8:30am–3pm |
How to write an awesome resume
Introduction
Writing a resume can be a daunting task, especially when you want it to stand out from all the others. But creating an awesome resume isn’t impossible, and with a few tips and tricks, you can craft the perfect resume that will set you apart from the competition. In this article, we’ll discuss the fundamentals of writing an awesome resume, including:
- How to make it visually appealing.
- How to use the right keywords.
- What to include in your resume.
Define your goal
Having a clear goal for your resume is essential for ensuring it is tailored for the job you are applying for. Write down key points such as the job title, required experience and desired qualities you would bring to the role, as this will help form your strategy and give focus to the content of your resume. Researching the company you are targeting is also imperative – read their website, press releases and look at market reports to gain an insight into their values and objectives. Furthermore, take some time to consider what makes you stand out from other applicants – what is it about your skills and experience that can add value? Keep these answers in mind when creating your resume.
Understand the job you’re applying for
Before you start writing your awesome resume, it’s important to understand what job or jobs you are looking for. Take time to research the position and organization to make sure you have a clear idea of what is expected of you should you be successful in your application. Make sure that your goal is in line with the requirements of the employer, as this will help in developing an effective resume with respect to designing an appropriate layout and choosing specific words that best showcase you and your unique capabilities. When considering a role, think carefully about what type of job would suit both your current career path and future aspirations as well as how it fits into your lifestyle and personal responsibilities. By asking yourself these questions early on, you will be able to tailor-make a successful application that resonates with the employer:
- What type of job would suit both my current career path and future aspirations?
- How does this role fit into my lifestyle and personal responsibilities?
- What are the requirements of the employer?
- How can I best showcase my unique capabilities?
Resume Format
Your resume is the first impression made on a potential employer. It’s important that your resume stands out from the crowd and has the right format for maximum impact. A well-formatted resume should be easy to read, organized, and professional. It’s also important to use correct grammar and spelling. Let’s go into the details of how to format a resume:
Choose the right resume type
Before you begin writing your resume, it’s important to choose the format that best suits your needs. Different types of resumes cater to different job seeking situations and resume objectives. The three main types of resumes are chronological, functional, and combination resumes. Chronological resumes focus on listing a job seeker’s professional experience in reverse-chronological order with the most recent or current position listed first. This type of resume format provides an employer with a comprehensive overview of the applicant’s work history and outlines specific accomplishments in each previous role. It is recommended for job seekers with a consistent work history and skill set that align with the position they are applying for. Functional resumes emphasize skills instead of prior job titles or employers. This style of resume offers a snapshot of specific skills without providing detailed information about where or when those skills were developed. While this style does not show progression within a chosen career field, it does draw attention to areas relevant to the prospective position by demonstrating a variety of side projects, continuing education courses, certifications earned and other activities that demonstrate proficiency in certain areas. Combination resumes balance both chronological work history and relevant skills while prioritizing qualifications over dates or other related details when appropriate. This style presents goals through key accomplishments highlighting transferable skills while also demonstrating progressive employment opportunities that may benefit an employer’s organization in some way. It is generally used by job seekers who have already become successful within their field but also want to remain competitive or move up into higher positions in their current industry, career or field as well as people who are changing careers altogether but wish to highlight their extensive past experience as it pertains to their desired profession.
Use a professional font and font size
Choosing the right font and font size for your resume is an important part of creating a successful document that will stand out from the crowd. While there are no hard-and-fast rules about what fonts you should use, staying within the safe boundaries of widely-accepted fonts and sizes will increase the chances that it will look professional and be easy to read. When it comes to font, only choose two kinds of fonts: Serif or Sans Serif. The best font choices in this category are Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, Cambria, Georgia and Garamond. Sans Serif fonts are usually best when used for headings or titles and are often seen as more modern looking than their Serif counterparts. Good Sans Serif options include Arial, Calibri, Trebuchet MS Roboto and Tahoma. For standard body text (around 11–12 point size) use a 10–11 point size font with good kerning (amount of space between letters). As for line spacing choose either single space or 1.15 lines; this should ensure your text is easy to scan without being too tight or too wide. Finally create a margins of one inch for top/bottom/left/right to have ample space on each side to showcase your experience without making everything crammed together on page 1!
Include your contact information
When writing your resume, you should always include your contact information. This should be in the section at the top of your resume and usually includes the following:
- Full legal name
- City, state and zip code
- Primary phone number (include area code)
- A professional email address
In some cases, you may want to include multiple phone numbers such as a cell number, business number or even a fax number if applicable. You can also provide links to a website or social media profile if it is appropriate for the job for which you are applying. Make sure all contact information is current, complete and accurate so that employers can easily get in touch with you.
Content
Creating a winning resume is one of the most important steps when searching for a job. It allows potential employers to get a snapshot of who you are and what you can contribute to the organisation. When writing your resume, it’s vital to include information that is accurate, relevant and interesting. In this section, we will look at the types of information to include in your resume in order to craft an awesome resume:
Create a professional summary
A resume summary, also referred to as a professional summary, is a short writing piece that summarizes your experience, knowledge and accomplishments in the working world. It should be concise, yet compelling enough to catch an employer’s attention. A well-crafted resume summary will typically include two or three sentences at the top of your resume that quickly highlight your most relevant skills and features. Here are some tips for writing an effective summary statement:
- Make sure it includes an overview of your work history and training, including years of experience or any advanced degrees or certifications you may possess.
- Tie these details together with one or two statements about the strength of your professional skills and qualifications so employers can quickly learn who you are and what you offer.
- Demonstrate the value you can contribute in future positions by highlighting the abilities that make you a great fit – such as creativity, time management skills, customer service responsibilities or technical knowledge.
- Keep it concise and targeted (one to three sentences) – avoid being overly descriptive or too general.
- Include key words that relate to the job posting to boost its visibility during online searches by hiring professionals (but never use jargon!)
List your work experience
When creating your resume, list your current and past work experience in chronological order, starting with the most recent job first. Include the dates of employment and job title. Describe each position using concise statements that are Written in the present tense while you are still employed or past tense after leaving a job. For each previous role, point out your key accomplishments, responsibilities and skills used. Focus on experiences related to the job you are applying for and be sure to tailor your resume for each individual opportunity. This can include relevant coursework, research projects, volunteer positions or internships if applicable. When listing achievements from previous jobs or positions held don’t forget to also include quantitative metrics such as financial targets met or number of customers served when possible. Doing so will assist recruiters in visualizing what impact you had during your time with a company or organization through tangible proof points provided. Give recruiters a full picture of how you achieved success within positions held so that those metrics can easily be plugged into key performance metrics for the role being considered.
Include any relevant skills
Whether you have just graduated, are looking for a career change, or have been working in your chosen field for some time, you will want to showcase any relevant skills that could contribute to the success of your future employer. Consider including any computer programming languages, software technology knowledge, graphic design abilities and customer service experience that demonstrate your aptitude and fit within the job description. Highlight achievements included in past positions as well as professional certifications such as a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification or project management successes. You should also use specific keywords from the job description within the skills section of your resume to make sure that you stand out as a strong candidate for this position. This will demonstrate to potential employers both your attention to detail and successful history of fulfilling positions successfully.
List your education and certifications
When listing your education and certifications, be sure to include all relevant details. For each educational institution, note the following:
- Name of the institution
- Degree (if applicable)
- Field of study
- Graduation year
If you have additional credentials such as certificates or licenses, list those as well. Additionally, if you studied abroad or completed a professional training program in a specific area, include these activities on your resume so the hiring manager can understand the knowledge and experience you gained outside of traditional academic settings. This can often be especially beneficial for recent graduates with limited work experience who have invested their time in detailed courses or courses that are related to their desired career path. When listing certifications, make sure to include any specialties or endorsements you may have received on your credential to highlight specific subject areas and skillset.
Finishing Touches
Once you’ve written and edited your resume, it’s time to focus on the finishing touches. Finishing touches are what make your resume stand out from the competition. It’s important to pay attention to details such as font size, line spacing, and margins. Additionally, you should proofread your resume for grammar and spelling errors. By taking the time to make sure every detail is perfect, you can ensure that your resume will be as awesome as possible.
Proofread and edit your resume
Proofreading is one of the most important steps in creating a high-quality resume. A typo or technical mistake can leave a bad impression on an employer, even if you are the most qualified applicant. Follow these steps for checking for mistakes:
- Read your resume through once without making any changes. This allows you to spot typos and errors more easily by reading your words out loud and allowing your mind to catch errors without worrying about the formatting and content.
- Print out a hard copy of your resume and read it carefully from start to finish. After focusing on one area of your resume for several hours, going over it with a printed copy helps give you fresh eyes as you read over everything with an eye on details and accuracy.
- Ask another person to read it and provide feedback. Friends, family members or even career advisors can be great resources for finding mistakes that you might have overlooked or areas that need improvement such as organization or tone.
- Edit your resume one last time before submitting it. Make sure all information is still relevant, up-to-date, consistent throughout all sections, free of typos and legible font size/style are upheld throughout the entire document.
Use action verbs to add impact
When writing your resume, it’s important to remember that action words can add impact and draw attention to the most important points. Strong verbs let employers know that you are an independent problem-solver capable of getting the job done efficiently. Try to limit passive language and instead, choose active words and phrases such as “conducted,” “managed,” and “improved.” Including specific accomplishments with tangible results adds considerable weight to your resume. When possible, provide concrete examples that illustrate your success stories in the workplace. Words like “increased” or “decreased” are much more powerful than simply stating a statistic. This will also help quantify your performance so busy employers don’t have to guess at what you’ve achieved. Using these action verbs consistently throughout your resume will make it stand out from the rest and show potential employers that you mean business. Here is a great list of action verbs for you to use when writing or editing your resume:
- Accelerated
- Created
- Completed
- Led
- Trained
- Ensured
- Established
- Served
- Increased
- Received
Include keywords to target the job
When completing your resume, it’s important to include keywords that match the job description or job title you are targeting. Include these key words in a separate “keywords” section beneath your summary of qualifications section on the resume, as well as throughout the body of the resume where it fits naturally. Actively researching and including relevant keywords will help ensure your resume stands out to hiring managers and recruiters who may be looking for specific skills or expertise. Keywords should capture both the job title (such as Software Developer) and any specific technical skills (such as Python or JavaScript). Here are some examples of keywords that can target particular roles:
- Software Engineer: Java, C++, RESTful APIs, XML
- Marketing Manager: Social media campaigns, SEO optimization, analytics
- Accountant: QuickBooks, tax filing, financial statements
Adding relevant industry buzzwords and skills tailored to the job posting will draw an employer’s eye to your qualifications. A good rule of thumb is to include at least five but no more than 10 targeted keywords throughout a two-page resume. However, note that relevance should always take precedence over quantity – so don’t pad with terms just for show. Hiring managers can spot filler from a mile away!
Include a cover letter
Including a cover letter alongside your resume can be an important addition to your job application. A cover letter provides space to highlight any special skills, explain why you’re a perfect fit for the role and demonstrate enthusiasm for the company and position. When including a cover letter, it’s important to address it confidently and concisely. Begin by addressing the hiring contact or manager directly and state the position you are applying for. This is an opportunity to provide clear examples of abilities, experiences or research that will benefit the role in question. Be sure to connect your past skills and experiences where you can – employers look favourably on candidates who present themselves as relevant solution-providers first and foremost. Finally, provide tangible evidence of care and consideration taken during preparation of your job application; individualized touches such as tailored questions or compliments about specific aspects of the organization can ensure that you stand out from other applicants. Most importantly – remember that some qualities just don’t always translate despite all efforts! Since employers cannot sense your enthusiasm via resume or letter alone, it is essential that those other assets are featured prominently during an interview – when employers will have more opportunities to bridge these potential gaps via conversation with you directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What should be included in a resume? A1. A resume should include your name, contact information, work experience, education, skills, and any other relevant information that is related to the job.
Q2. How long should my resume be? A2. Your resume should be no more than two pages in length. It should be concise, relevant, and include only the most relevant information.
Q3. How do I make my resume stand out? A3. Your resume should be tailored to the job you’re applying for and highlight your experience and skills that are relevant to the position. You should also include keywords from the job description and use a professional design to make your resume stand out.
