Today we are going to look at some resume examples, that will take you beyond the basics. Hopefully this article will help you get yours noticed!

First off, I suggest you think about your audience. You should edit your resume for every job you apply for. This also means including the three most relevant jobs you have done that relate to the one you are applying for. This will attract the attention of your recruiter.

Did you know recruiters spend less than ten seconds reading a resume?

This means you need a hard-hitting and well-constructed resume. There are other resume examples you could use as a template, but this is a basic one you could polish up.

The basics – resume examples

Resume examples

John Smith
Address | phone | email address
Objective
I am hard working, and strive to be the best salesperson I can. My wish is to progress to sales floor management, once I have the experience and skills. My ambition is to to hold a successful full-time management position in a cutting-edge sales team, within five years, and to push new boundaries in the position.

Education
| Name of college |
| Subjects taken | Graduation date |
At college, I gained a 4.0-grade point average in business studies. I performed similarly well in my electives.

Experience
Date from – to
Salesperson | Name of company | company location
In this position, I broke many targets and was awarded employee of the month six times. I was also repeatedly awarded bonuses as a result.

Job title | Company | Location
Dates from – to
[This is where you can give a brief summary of your key responsibilities and most significant accomplishments]
Awards and acknowledgments
In this position I gained professional certification for my customer service skills, that I can use alongside my sales skill set.

This is a basic example of the structure of a resume, and you might already have one that looks like this. Of course, this is just one of many resume examples, and the content would be yours, as would how you structure it.

It is important that you have your full name, address and current contact details at the top. Check and double check, and check again, that there are no mistakes here as you will obviously not be contactable.

The no-mistake rule applies to the whole of your resume because this is what you will look like to a potential employer. No mistakes = professional.

Your objective

Next, comes your objective. Not everyone includes this, so the decision is yours. If you are new to the workforce, changing direction or industry or looking at a specific job then including an objective is probably a good idea.

Hiring managers have to sort through hundreds of resumes so, if you include it, your objective must stand out. It should be short, crisp and to the point.

This means you have got to grab their attention pretty darn fast. Some hiring managers will decide whether to read on based on your objective statement, so pay close attention to detail!

So what exactly is an objective? Well, this should explain your career goals and aspirations, but also why you are a good fit for the role you are applying for. This means the objective needs to be changed for each application.

Some examples might be:

Obtain a management position with [company name] where I am able to use my skills to increase customer sales, evolve the brand and work with a talented team.

I am a dedicated business studies student looking to gain a position in sales management so I can use my education and people skills to grow the bottom line.

Education section

In the education section, include all the courses you have done, for example, grade school and professional courses. It is important that you do not exaggerate your grades as employers will check. Although many people include false information, or talk themselves up, this is fraudulent and could break the relationship if you are offered a job.

Do make sure you include any special achievements or awards you got during this time.

If you look at resume examples online, you will notice a lot of it comes down to experience. This is the second most important part of your resume. A hiring manager will target this part to see what experience you have that matches their position. Mention the most relevant jobs and dates and briefly explain why you left. Cover as many work-related achievements as you can. It is never a bad thing to talk yourself up here as long as it can be proved.

If you are a graduate or new to the workforce, you will still have done things (and have qualities) you can mention that show your potential. For example, you may have been a school leader of some sort. Or you are well known for how you manage your time and being reliable. Maybe you are a member of a club or you’ve volunteered somewhere? Everyone has skills and abilities even if they have not been a part of the workforce yet.

Awards and accomplishments. In this section add absolutely any accomplishments you haven’t mentioned yet. Maybe you have won some informal awards? Even climbed Mount Everest!

Other useful information

Resume examples

Your resume should not be too long. Hiring managers have little time. It should be no more than two pages stapled together.

Your resume should show them the person you are, so don’t be afraid to mix some personality in there.

It may also helpful, or even necessary, to give the name and contact of referees. Make sure to ask your previous employer if they are happy to be a referee so they are prepared for the call.

If you have not worked yet, or your previous employer is unwilling to be a referee, then ask someone who has known you well for at least two years. They can provide you with a character reference. Relatives can not be given as referees sadly, do don’t ask Mom or Dad!

If you search online for resume examples you may also find that people add photos of themselves. The need for this is debatable. Some people find it effective and others don’t. In China it is mostly expected though, but your choice here.

Finally, make sure your resume is easy to read. Print it on white paper, use a good font and 11 or 12 point size. Happy composing!

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