Have you ever wanted to write your own resume and found yourself overwhelmed by the task? Wondering how you should tackle this “resume-writing” job-hunting challenge? Don’t worry—we’re here to help! In this blog post, we will teach you how to write a resume for a writing job so you can get yourself organized and ready to tackle the job search process.
The Anatomy of a Resume
So, what exactly is a resume, and how should you write one? Glad you asked! Resumes are basically your life story in written form. They are very beneficial to you in your job search because they help humans get to know you better. Resumes can also be very helpful for future employers if they are seeking writers with specific skillsets or experience. Let’s take a look at the anatomy of a resume.
Key Facts About You
When preparing your resume, you need to remember to include the following key facts about yourself:
- Your name
- Home address
- Phone number
- Email address
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Race
- Nationality
- Educational history
- Employment history
- Key dates
- Extra details
The Skills You Have
Now, this is where you list the skills you have. In order to be able to write a resume that is actually worth reading, you need to focus on listing out your skills and experiences that are directly applicable to the job you are applying for. You should look at your resume as a summary of your abilities and experience. It is essentially your chance to sell yourself to a potential employer. In order to do this effectively, you need to make sure that your resume is crafted with the right words and phrases. Make sure that your summary of skills reflects the job you are applying for and is concise but also detailed enough to show exactly what you are able to do. A good resume should be no more than three or four pages in length. Anything longer, and you’re probably better off using a professional resume service.
Your Professional History
This is where you list your previous work experience. You need to make sure that you include the chronological order of your employment dates, starting with your most recent position first and going back in time. You should include the following information about your work experience:
- Your job title
- Company name
- Date of employment
- Duration of employment
- Supervisor’s name
- Phone number
- Address
- City
- Region
- Country
- Website (if applicable)
- Email address (if applicable)
- Special skills (if applicable)
- Details about your professional development (if applicable)
How to Write a Resume for a Writing Job
So, you’ve got your key facts about yourself, your skills, and your work experience all laid out on paper. Now, you need to prepare for the “resume-writing” job-hunting challenge. How should you go about doing this? Let’s take a look.
Start At The Beginning
One of the best things you can do for yourself in your job search is to start at the beginning. You can use the timeline in your resume to highlight key moments in your life. Begin your resume with a short but sweet summary of your key facts and skills. Then, you can go back in time and include your work experience.
Your resume should serve as a snapshot of your skills and experience at a given point in time. Therefore, if you’ve never written a resume before, start at the beginning and simply make sure that each section reflects your current situation. You should also make sure that all of your information is presented in the correct order. In terms of the content, you don’t need to be over-the-top with fancy formatting. Keep things simple, and make sure that everything is legible. You should follow the rules of standard writing styles, such as the APA (American Psychological Association) or MLA (Modern Language Association). If you’re looking for a legible and simple resume template, check out this awesome resume example for a creative writing job!
Choose Your Suitable Work Environment
When preparing for your job search, you need to make sure that you’re in a safe and suitable place to do your work. It’s important that the environment you work in inspires you and is conducive to your talents. If you’re seeking a writing job, you might want to consider looking for work in an office. This will give you the opportunity to sit at a desk all day and create beautiful documents that help people. If you’re looking for a more creative job, you might want to consider looking for work in a coffee shop or another environment that has a creative aspect to it.
Start With The Skills You Need
There are a few skills that you will definitely need in order to be able to write a resume that is actually considered worth reading. These skills may not be explicitly stated in your job search, but they are necessary nonetheless. In order to be able to write a good resume, you will need to have knowledge of the following:
- Microsoft Word
- Google Docs
- HTML
- CSS
- Databases
- Design programs (like Photoshop or InDesign)
- Typography
- Alignment
- Margins and padding
- Page break
- The difference between table and figure-based layouts
- How to format a document for printing
- Copy editing
If you’re seeking a job as a writer, you should definitely consider looking for work in publishing or magazines. These are two incredibly demanding industries with a lot of opportunity for growth. So, if you have experience in either of these fields, you’re in for a treat!
Know The Basics Of Resume Search
Another important thing to keep in mind when writing your resume is that you need to do some research into how to search for a job. As a general rule, you should enter your resume into the database, and then you should use the Search functionality to narrow your results. When doing this, you need to keep the following in mind:
- Include all of your keywords
- Use appropriate MATCH CLAUSE
- Don’t use extra words
- Don’t use abbreviations
- Build a better database
- Write better resumes
- Be persistent. Don’t give up!
- Check your spelling and grammar
If you follow these guidelines, you will greatly increase your chances of finding a suitable job. Just remember to keep things light and easy to read.
Summary
So, that’s it! That’s everything you need to know about writing a resume for a writing job. From here, all you need to do is follow the instructions, and you will be on your way to securing your dream job. Good luck out there!