What is a Professional Resume?

A professional resume is a document that contains the qualifications and background of an individual. It has the work experience, skills, education, and contact information of the person. It is commonly used when an individual is having employment applications. It is an essential document to get the job that you want. Even high school students have to send a professional resume in the form of a high school resume. Without a professional resume, the employer will not have a good basis to give you a chance for the job.

To create professional resumes, you can use a resume builder or a free resume builder. A free resume can be readily available on the internet because of a professional resume maker or a professional resume template. Resume templates or professional resume examples are good patterns so that you can create a good resume. Whether you are going to create a customer service resume or a college student resume, templates can surely help you. Be careful in writing the essential elements of a professional resume like the professional skills for a resume, the professional objective for a resume, and the professional experience in a resume. Make sure that your professional resume will not be lacking.

Elements of a Professional Resume

Making a professional resume is not that simple. You have to be careful when writing its elements to ensure that you can create a great resume. Knowledge in every section is essential so that you can present your information well. The following are some details about the elements of a professional resume:

Contact Information: A very important thing that you should not forget to write in your professional resume is your contact information. Put your contact information accurately which includes your email address and phone number. You can also include your home address for additional information. Contact information is an essential part of a professional resume because the employer should have something to contact you. If they like your qualifications, they will know how to reach you. It will be easy for them to set up an interview for you. How can you expect them to continue with your application if you will not provide contact information? So, including your contact information is a must.Summary Statement: This is a section in your professional resume where you have to put your objectives. The goals that you have set for your job application should reflect your objectives. The summary statement contains your purpose for the application. For example, you can tell that you want to improve your skills. Or you want to be a part of an innovative company like their organization. This statement must reflect your career plan or career goals. It gives a value proposition to potential employers. Through the summary statement, you can express your sincerity to employers to use your experience in helping their company. It will explain your goals and why you want to join their business.Education: Whether you have a college diploma or not, you must include this in your professional resume. You must write the courses where you have the  certificate of completion. If you are an undergraduate or have not finished your course, you must write this also. Some employers may not be strict when it comes to education but we know that most are. They want to employ people who has a college degree. Though, not all employers are like this. Many also can accept job applicants who do not have a college degree as long as they can do the job and has a good attitude. So, you have to be honest about your education because at the end of the day, it is not what can make you hired but your attitude. Never fake information about your education or you may not prove what you are claiming to them.Work Experience: According to the job description in the open position, you must tailor the work experience in your professional resume. If you are applying as a graphic designer, you must include experiences that are related to it. This will increase your chance to get the job. The work experience is a part of the professional resume where you will detail your experience. You will include your past job titles and the companies where you have worked. This is a record of your professional work history. Include work experience where you know you can provide a certificate of employment so that you can have proof that you truly worked for these companies. If you have too much work experience, it can be better to just include relevant work experiences to the job and just submit your full resume when requested. For every work experience, you can include your responsibilities and accomplishments. This can give employers a good overview of your work experience.Skills: Your skills are very important to be included in the professional resume. Employers must see that you have the skills needed for the job. This can make them trust you with the job. They will see that you are adept at the job. If you have the skills required for the job, this is a good sign that you are qualified for the job. So, it is a must to highlight your skills that are relevant to the position. Showcase your skills so employers will have an interest in your application. Know that it is the worker’s skills that they are going to use in their business. That is why this is something that you should ensure that you can provide to them. Though there can be training schedules for new workers, it can be better if you are already equipped in doing the job. Your skills are what you are selling to employers. For this reason, write your best skills in your professional resume.Achievements or Awards: Who will not be impressed with excellence? If you can include in your resume proof of awards and achievements, this can give you an ace against other job applicants. If you have honors in school, do not forget to include them in your professional resume. This can make employers esteem you higher than other job applicants. Notable achievements can get the trust of employers to think that we are good workers. If we have been good with our awards and achievements, this means that we can be good at work also. Because of this, be sure to include your achievements and awards in your professional resume.Additional Sections: Additional sections can also be added in your professional resume. You can mention your language proficiency or you can include your volunteer work or affiliations. If you like, you can include a section where you can put your portfolio sample.References: At the end of your professional resume, you can include a section where you can include your references. This is a list of people who knows your character and whom employers can ask about your background. It can be good to include 2-3 references from your past employers.

Benefits of a Professional Resume

A professional resume is not given for nothing. This is the very reason why employers can become interested in your application. All people use a professional resume because it has obvious benefits. They are the following:

Networking Opportunities: A professional resume is not only used in job applications but can also be useful for networking events or career fairs. It will be easy to reach out to professionals with the use of a professional resume. You can make new connections and doors can open to job opportunities.Documentation of Career Progression: Through your professional resume, you can display your achievements in your career. You can showcase your growth or career progression. It gives an overview of your professional journey.Professionalism and Credibility: When you applied with a professional resume, this only mean that you are being professional. It can build your credibility in the eyes of employers. They know that you exert the right effort to prepare for their open position. They will know your background through your resume so they will have something for them to trust you. Building our credibility is very important so we have to submit professional resumes to the job we are applying for.Personal Reflection and Self-Assessment: Through your professional resume, you can reflect on your skills, achievements, and experiences. You will know your areas of strength and areas of improvement. Whenever you update your resume, you will know what to do to strive for your career further. Thus, you can set new goals so you can have a better career in the future.Confidence During Interviews: When you are being interviewed, you can have the confidence that you need when you know you have already submitted a professional resume. You know that the company has already assessed your qualifications and you have gained their approval in a way. It will just be up to you to pass the interview. Usually, when a professional resume has been given, the interview talks about the things that you have put in it. This can give you ease to answer questions in the interview. In the end, you can pass the interview because of what you have written in your professional resume.

How to Send a Professional Resume

Maybe you have done everything to create a great professional resume. But do you worry about how you can send it? The following steps can guide you:

1. Save Your Resume

First, send your resume in a PDF document or Word document. After saving your resume, you can start sending it to employers.

2. Write a Professional Email

Use a professional email address to email your resume. Write a concise email message to accompany your email. Make a brief introduction of yourself. State the position you are applying for.

3. Attach Your Resume

Make a descriptive subject line for your email. Proofread and review your email. Then attach your resume to the email. You can also include other supporting documents.

4. Send the Email

If there are specific instructions in the job posting, you must follow them. When you are confident with your email, send it to the employer. Then follow up if necessary.

FAQs

What are the tips for a professional resume?

The tips for a professional resume are to tailor your resume, keep it concise, use a professional format, highlight your achievements, be honest, and proofread it.

How long should a professional resume be?

The ideal length of a professional resume is usually one or two pages. This may vary to your level of experience. Though as much as possible, make it concise.

Every one of us has their own professional resume. We use this whenever we apply for jobs. To ensure that we will have what we want to attain with our professional resume, we must ascertain that we can create a good resume. If we do, it will be easy for us to be accepted in job applications. Craft a perfect professional resume to find the perfect job for you.