How to craft the perfect resume in 30 minutes

Find out how to make a resume stand out, jump-start your job search, and start applying

(Corinne Kutz)

First impressions count, and that means an effective resume is key when you’re looking for a job online.

Writing a resume can feel daunting. After all, summing up your professional achievements on a page or two can feel impossible.

But it doesn’t have to be hard.

With some simple guidelines, it’s something you can create in 30 minutes - and keep up to date going forward.

You don’t need to overcomplicate things; a resume is simply an outline of why you’re a great fit for a role.

There aren’t any hard and fast rules for the structure, you just need to include your key educational qualifications; the most relevant work history; what those roles entailed; and how you thrived in those.

That’s it.

Once you’re happy with your resume, sign up for free with ZipRecruiter to join the 135 million job seekers who’ve turned to the number one job site in the US* for their job search needs.

Use action verbs:

One of the best ways to make your resume stand out is to use action verbs to describe yourself. Words like “managed,” “led,” “created,” and “achieved” give your resume a sense of momentum and make it clear that you’re a proactive and accomplished candidate.

This approach also encourages you to really focus on your actual achievements, rather than just your duties.

Quantify your success:

In addition to skills to list on your resume, using numbers and data to quantify achievements can help to provide concrete evidence of your accomplishments and make your resume stand out.

Be specific; don’t just say you grew sales, tell a potential employer by how much.

Provide context; if an achievement was particularly impressive in your market or role, explain how and why.

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Keep it concise and relevant:

If you’re early in your career, a one-page resume is fine. If you’re more experienced and have detailed experiences to cite, you can run to two. Don’t go beyond that; the need for brevity will focus your mind and make sure you only put the most important info.

Resume skills examples vary by profession, so take a look at some current job listings in your field to see which areas on which to focus.

Remember - you’re not trying to tell a potential employer your entire work history, you’re trying to tell them why you’re the right choice for their vacancy.

Proofread it carefully:

You know how the moment you send an important email, you suddenly spot the typo? You really don’t want to do that with your resume. The best thing to do is to get a second pair of eyes on it - ask your partner, a friend, or a family member to take a look. Alternatively, email it to yourself. Seeing it on the screen in your inbox can often make it look so different to how it looked in drafts.

Stay motivated:

The process of applying for jobs after putting the effort in on your resume can sometimes be disheartening. You do all of that work, then never get any feedback. Use ZipRecruiter to avoid that; most job seekers find out that their application has been viewed within 48 hours of applying to a job on ZipRecruiter.**

Recommendations:

Should you put references on your resume? That’s up for debate, but it’s typically best to avoid it unless specifically requested in the job listing. However, it’s always good to have people in mind for when an employer does ask. Remember, you should always ask a potential reference for permission before offering their name and contact details to a potential employer.

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Keep your resume fresh:

Even after landing your dream job, it’s good to keep your resume up to date. Had a big win at work? Add it as an achievement. Taken on a new responsibility? Add it to your job description. Then, when you see a dream job, you’ve got 90% of the work done and you only need to tweak it. There are 12 million active postings on ZipRecruiter** - so the world is your oyster.

*Based on G2 satisfaction ratings as of January 1, 2022

**Based on ZipRecruiter Internal Data, average Jan. 1 – Dec. 31 2021