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CONTENTS
Introduction
In a competitive job-seeking environment, it is vitally important that your resume communicates clearly, is easy to read, and makes a positive impact on its readers. Since the strength of your document can make or break your chances of landing a spot in the interview round, use this skills-based resume template for Word to make your resume the best that it can be. Also included are writing tips for the summary statement, skills, work history, and education sections of your document.
Writing Your Summary Statement
The summary statement at the top of your resume is your first chance to make a great impression on the hiring manager. The challenge with the summary statement is to keep it brief and easy to read yet explanatory about your top skills and experience. Keep your statement three sentences or three bullet points long. Study the skills-based resume template for Word to get an idea of how to craft your own summary statement. Here are some additional tips for writing your statement:
- Include your professional title at the beginning of the statement
- Mention your top 2-3 skills
- Include specific notable expertise, accomplishments, and soft skills
Here are some additional examples of summary statements in both the paragraph and list formats:
Paragraph Style:
- Detail-oriented administrative assistant focused on quality work results in a timely manner. Excel at data processing, development, and organization of reports and spreadsheet creation. Excellent verbal and written communicator with a team focus.
Proactive maintenance technician passionate about the upkeep of machinery, appliances, and grounds. Experienced in a wide range of HVAC systems and plumbing repair. Dedicated to communication and service to the customer.
List Style:
- Experienced receptionist with exemplary customer service skills
- Able to manage time independently while working on multiple tasks
- Project a professional image while efficiently routing calls
Writing Your Skills Section
When you refer to the skills-based resume template for Word, you can see that the skills section is dynamic and stands out as an easily read list of abilities relevant to the desired job. Here are some tips that will help you write a skills section that shows you are a great fit for the position:
- List your strongest skills at the beginning of the section
- Only list skills relevant to the position you are applying for
- Find keywords in the job description to integrate into your skill points
Here is an example of a skills section for a customer service representative position:
- Active listener who readily responds positively to customer issues
- Excellent communicator both verbal and in writing
- Proficient in the Microsoft Office suite of software
- React calmly to escalated customer situations
- Detail-oriented to assure all needed information is gathered and given
- Independent with time management
Writing Your Work History Section
The work history section is where you can really tell the details of your professional experience. Make sure that you use bullet points to make your responsibilities and accomplishments highly readable. Look at the skills-based resume template for Word to see how it integrates the tips listed below. Here are some best practices to follow when writing your own work history section:
- Always begin your work history points with an action verb
- Provide 6-8 bullet points of work history
- Use metrics whenever possible to quantify your achievements
- Take a cue from the job description and use keywords from it in your own work history
Here are some examples of work history entries for various positions:
Sales Representative
- Completed sales optimization training and then trained other sales staff on the skills presented
- Increased completed sales in the district by 25 percent
Business Analyst
- Achieved a 15 percent decrease in division energy costs by switching server-based data storage to the cloud
- Initiated the automation of many basic human resources functions to enable company employees quicker access to information
Project Manager
- Led a team of software analysts and engineers to update system reporting software
- Conducted weekly staff meetings to update the client on progress
Writing Your Education Section
The skills-based resume template for Word includes a section for education for good reason. Many jobs require specialized or higher education to qualify for a position. This section provides a space to outline your educational achievements and any certifications or licenses you may have. Take a look at these education section writing tips to help you to best format this section:
- Do not list your grade point average in this section unless you are a very recent graduate
- Put your highest level of education at the top of the list
- This section can include any type of training that is relevant to your career, including training seminars and certification courses
Here is an example of a financial analyst education section that employs all of the above advice:
- Bachelor of Science in Finance – 2015
- The University of Nevada
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Chartered Financial Analyst Certification – 2016
Using Action Verbs in your Skills-Based Resume
Action verbs enliven your work history section and reinforce the image of you as an effective and successful employee. Look at how the skills-based resume template for Word uses action verbs and check out the incorporation of action verbs in the examples below:
- Planned the depth and scope of the cloud utilization project
- Assessed clients’ financial profiles and recommended steps to take to reach their retirement goals
- Scheduled preventative maintenance on all heating and cooling systems in the apartment complex
- Communicated with a variety of clients, company staff, and contractors in person and on the telephone
- Updated all stakeholders in the software conversion of the project status on a daily basis
Adding Metrics to Your Skills-Based Resume
How do you make an impact in your present job, and what have you done professionally in the past to add value to the organization? These details, or metrics, make a huge difference in quantifying your ability to produce measurable achievements. Look at the skills-based resume template for Word to see how it employs metrics in its work history section. Metrics can be presented in the form of percentages, dollars, or basic numbers. The examples below also show how you can add credibility to your resume by using metrics:
With metric
- Initiated a time allocation assessment that resulted in a 25 percent more efficient use of support staff hours
- Optimized the sales processing software, resulting in customers getting their orders a day faster than before
- Created a national advertising campaign for a soft drink that resulted in a 10 percent increase in sales and over 2 million YouTube views
Without metric
- Initiated a time allocation assessment to support staff
- Optimized sales processing software for customer orders
- Created a national soft drink advertising campaign
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