When it comes to how to make a resume and more specifically the actual words you should put on it there are two key priorities you should consider.

Firstly what sections should your resume have, and secondly what language should you use to get your message across most effectively.

A resume should ideally be no more than two sides of paper because recruiters are busy people and simply don't have the time to read page after page about how great you are. They need to be able to make a decision in moments before moving onto the next applicant so making this as easy as possible for them will greatly increase your chances of getting picked.

In other words, keep it short and sweet. If you've had 50 different jobs since leaving school, don't include them all in your resume.

Instead focus on the last 3 years of employment or your last 3-5 jobs, whichever covers a longer period of time.

Aim to go into details about your dates of employment, company name, job role and primary responsibilities.

This is likely to stretch to a side of paper or more.

Include your basic educational details too (schools attended, qualifications gained, marks received) and also your personal details (name, address, phone number, email etc.) and you may well find that you have already filled your two sides of paper.

If so, great. If not, you could consider adding either any additional non-curricular achievements to date (for example any training courses you went on at previous jobs) or listing your hobbies and interests outside of work.

If your hobbies show something positive about your personality then even better. Mention the way you volunteer at a hospice for the homeless but miss out your obsession with explosives and wrestling!

When it comes to how to make a resume, how you say things is as important as what you say.

Once you have got the basic sections of your resume (employment history, education, personal details etc.) down and filled in it is time to carefully edit what you've said and it's this editing that will lead to a polished, professional-looking resume for you.

Consider nicer, more professional ways of wording what you have already put. For example, you could reword:

"Worked in a shop selling TVs" ...to...

"Worked as a fulltime Customer Service Advisor in a local electrical store focusing on sales and support of widescreen televisions"

Same job, different effect.

I'm not suggesting you lie about anything on your resume but just take note how the first description sounds simple, basic and boring. It almost makes you look like an underachiever. The second one sounds interesting and educated and encourages further questioning at an interview.

Apply this process to all the writing on your resume line by line and then finish off with a final read through just to make sure it all flows naturally.

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