We all know a compelling resume is the first step to a new career. But how do you make a good resume? Simply put, you should follow the general process below:

• Evaluate your strength and weakness
• Understand what the position wants
• Choose the right design and format
• Add some personal touch
• Be sure to include your contact information

Let’s take a look at these steps one by one.

Know Yourself

When you buy a product, you check out the product manual. Similarly, you can consider the resume a manual describing yourself. Therefore, you must begin with self-evaluation if you want to write a powerful resume.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What makes you a good fit for the position?
• What might become challenging for you?
• What are your best personal traits?
• What skills do you have?
• What are your future career goals?

The answers to these questions will guide you through the resume creation process.

Understand Your Employer

Next, try to get into the hiring company’s mind. Read through the job description and understand what type of candidates they’re looking for. Most job postings come with minimum requirements, such as degree requirements, skills, or employment history.

If you don’t meet some of these conditions, don’t worry. You can still convince the company you’re a good fit by making up with other strengths.

You should also research the company’s culture to talk about shared values in your summary, personal statement, or cover letter.

Follow Resume Writing Best Practices

Look up some professional resume samples if you need help, or use one of the free online resume builders.

Having the correct resume format can be the make-and-break point because many companies today are using online submission platforms. You want to make sure the system can read your resume and gather all the information.

Use a simple resume template, then customize it with your personal touches. If you want to be creative with the design, it’s best to save a simple, traditional version first, then make changes accordingly.

Be Reachable

Did you include your contact information on your resume? A common misunderstanding is that because your resume is submitted as an attachment to the application, you don’t need to include your contact info.

Well, that’s not true.

Many recruiters go straight to downloading the resume. So, you should always make sure they can reach you. Some contact information to add to your resume includes:

• Your email — make sure the email address looks professional. First name + last name is a good format to go with.
• Your cell number — with a timeframe to best reach you.
• Your mailing address — while employers may not send a mail to you, some might prefer to have local employees due to company structures.

Some Final Thoughts

Do you know how to make a good resume now? In the end, it’s about providing the information your future employer needs, so you help them make the decision to hire you. Here are 19 real resume and CV mistakes which can help you in making the best resume.

We recommend building your resume out with a preapproved template, then adding personal touches to customize the look and feel. Make sure you tailor each resume to the position you’re applying for.