How To Write a Resume Using Word
To write a winning resume using Microsoft Word, identify a compatible template that allows you to convey your qualifications, experience, and career achievements in an engaging manner. Avoid overly complex formatting that might slow you down during the resume writing process. This guide provides valuable tips to help capture your most compelling achievements and land your next big job opportunity.
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
1. Write a dynamic profile summarizing your qualifications
Lead your resume with a convincing profile that captures your most relevant qualifications for the role you’re applying for. Keep this section concise and limited to no more than four or five lines. Start with a sentence that includes your title, years of experience, and three to four key skills that match the job description.
In the subsequent sentences, emphasize your ability to create value for clients, teams, and organizations. Showcase unique aspects of your background to brand yourself as a thought leader in the industry. Give the hiring manager reasons to review your application more carefully rather than placing it at the back of the pile.
Senior-Level Profile Example
A dynamic sales director with over 10 years of experience building and leading high-performance sales organizations to exceed revenue targets for enterprise companies. A proven track record of establishing enduring relationships with clients founded on trust and integrity. Adept at defining innovative growth strategies to enhance market penetration across untapped verticals.
Entry-Level Profile Example
A human resources (HR) coordinator with two years of experience specializing in talent recruitment, HR administration, employee onboarding, and payroll processing. A proven track record of providing support to HR managers and job candidates throughout the hiring process. Adept at collaborating with diverse teams to achieve organizational goals.
2. Add an accomplishment-driven professional experience section
Your professional experience section serves as the core of your resume. It needs to demonstrate your proven track record of success within your field and how you’ve positively contributed to previous organizations. Integrating hard numbers, metrics, and monetary figures is one way to provide appropriate context for your accomplishments.
For example, if you were managing a large-scale cloud migration for a technology company, specify the number of users or devices to establish a sense of scope for the project. If you identified an opportunity to save a company $100,000 in annual costs, explain how you executed this initiative.
Senior-Level Professional Experience Example
Enterprise Sales Director, Numerator, Las Vegas, NV | February 2016 – present
- Lead a sales department comprised of 65 representatives and account managers, oversee the entire sales cycle, and motivate team members to exceed revenue targets and achieve 140% of the annual quota in 2022
- Serve as the point of contact for client stakeholders and C-level executives, acquire new leads at trade shows and industry conferences, and secure five new accounts generating $4.5 million in revenue
- Recruit, nurture, and support the development of top talent, identify opportunities to enhance performance, and establish an efficient work culture centered on inclusion and empowerment
Entry-Level Professional Experience Example
HR Coordinator, South West Auto Insurance, Nashville, TN | June 2021 – present
- Support recruitment efforts to expand the information technology (IT) department, conduct application screening, analyze resumes to identify qualified candidates, perform interview scheduling, and communicate with applicants
- Deliver administrative support to the HR department, maintain records, files, and databases, and coordinate with the HR manager to process $150,000 in monthly payroll
- Coordinate with the HR team and IT department to develop and enhance the employee onboarding process, including training scheduling and onboarding materials
3. Include your relevant education and certifications
In addition to your education, feature any relevant credentials, training, or certifications to showcase your industry knowledge. While a certification won’t guarantee you a job interview, it does speak to your commitment to continuous learning and career advancement. Carefully analyze the required and preferred credentials for each position you apply for.
Education
Template
- [Degree Name]
- [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Marketing
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV | 2016
Certifications
Template
- [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
Example
- Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR), HR Certification Institute | October 2021
- Certified Professional Sales Leader, National Association of Sales Professionals | March 2016
4. List your relevant skills and proficiencies
Most organizations rely on some form of applicant tracking system (ATS) to identify qualified candidates for job openings. To ensure your document gets through the initial screening process and into the hiring manager’s hands, incorporate keywords directly from the job description into your document.
In addition to featuring your skills in a bulleted list, provide tangible examples of you utilizing them in your professional experience section. Listing cloud technology or Microsoft Azure as a skill is one thing, but using them to complete a complex database migration is another. Below, you’ll find a broad list of potential keywords you may encounter during the job search:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Agile methodology | Client relations |
| Communication | Computer science |
| Continuous improvement | Cross-functional collaboration |
| Customer service | Customer success |
| Data analysis | Digital marketing |
| Employee relations | Health care administration |
| HR administration | IT |
| Marketing strategy | Process improvement |
| Project management | Sales management |
| Software development | Strategic planning |
| Team management | |
5. Test your Word resume template on other operating systems
Although Word is one of the easier programs for resume building, you still need to ensure your template, formatting, and design work on other operating systems. This is true even if you submit it as a PDF. Small formatting issues can sometimes impact the visual appeal of your resume on another operating system, especially if the hiring manager is viewing it on a mobile device.
How To Pick the Best Resume Template for Word
When selecting your Microsoft Word resume template, readability and organization should be your top focus. Hiring managers will always be more interested in your qualifications and experience than the style of your template, so it’s best to prioritize your content over visual elements. Opt for an elegant font, such as Garamond or Cambria. Avoid including graphics or a headshot, as these elements may disrupt your formatting and distract the reader from your career achievements.
Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples for Word
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
Mina Sayed
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
Seattle, WA 12345
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Profile
A database developer with five years of experience, specializing in database design, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and technical project management. A strong history of coordinating with cross-functional teams to execute large-scale database migrations.
Professional Experience
Database Developer, Seattle Credit Services Inc., Seattle, WA | October 2020 – present
- Lead the migration from Oracle databases to SQL server with minimal impact to 20,000 users, resulting in a 15% reduction in infrastructure costs and $200,000 in annual savings
- Coordinate with technical project managers and database developers to architect data structures and schemas to support a suite of scalable business applications
- Improve SQL performance by monitoring and optimizing queries using SolarWinds, resulting in a 30% reduction in central processing unit (CPU) consumption
Database Developer, Advance Loan Partners, Seattle, WA | June 2018 – October 2020
- Maintained and developed an internal web application platform utilizing ASP.net, HTML 5, CSS3, and JavaScript with access to Oracle and SQL databases
- Served as the sole developer for an internal tool enabling production staff to establish parameters, store procedures, and executed SQL queries
Key Skills
- Database design
- Database migration
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Oracle databases
- Software development
Certifications
- IBM Certified Database Administrator – DB2 | May 2020
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate | October 2018
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science
Seattle Central College, Seattle, WA | June 2018
Frequently Asked Questions: Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for resumes?-
Action verbs help the hiring manager visualize your contributions, but it’s easy to repeat the same verbs repeatedly as you build your professional experience section. Starting each bullet point with “managed” or “supported” may cause your achievements to appear stale and repetitive. We’ve compiled a list of action verbs to keep your content fresh and compelling:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Analyzed | Built |
| Collaborated | Conducted |
| Created | Designed |
| Developed | Diagnosed |
| Drove | Enhanced |
| Evaluated | Executed |
| Identified | Implemented |
| Improved | Integrated |
| Led | Managed |
| Performed | Supported |
How do you align your resume with a job description?-
Total employment is expected to increase by 4.7 million from 2022 to 2032, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite these positive projections, expect growth rates to vary according to your occupation and field. To differentiate yourself from the competition and secure your next job interview, carefully align your resume with the job description.
For example, if you were pursuing a software development role that emphasizes project management expertise, you might highlight your background in Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall methodologies. If a job posting is seeking a candidate who excels in strategy development, feature tangible examples of how your tactics and strategies positively impacted your previous organizations.
What is the best resume format?-
Reverse chronological is the ideal resume format for most occupations. This approach places your most recent and relevant work experience at the forefront of your document. It also demonstrates your career progression over time. It’s normally best to avoid functional resumes, as skill-based formats are generally considered outdated by most recruiters and hiring managers.
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Once you’ve completed your resume, consider adding a matching cover letter to bolster your application. Be sure to tailor your document towards each individual company you apply to. Mention something specific about the organization’s reputation or mission statement in your middle paragraphs and why this draws you to apply for the role. For more insights, view our cover letter guides.
