Career Building • Mercer County, WV • 2 / 4

Building a Strong Resume • Mercer County, WV

Use strong formatting, action verbs, and job-specific language to improve your resume.

What to Include

• Contact info: Name, phone, email, city and state (not your full address).
• Professional summary: 2-3 lines about who you are and what you want.
◦ Example: "Reliable, detail-oriented professional with 5 years customer service experience. Seeking an administrative role where I can use my organizational and communication skills."
• Work experience: Job title, company, dates, and 3-4 bullet points per job using action verbs.
• Skills: List 6-8 relevant skills (Microsoft Office, customer service, cash handling, etc.). These skills should change based on the job description.
• Education: High school, college, certifications.

• Do not write "Responsible for customer service." Write "Managed customer service for team of 5, achieving 95% satisfaction rating." Use verbs like: Managed, Led, Increased, Reduced, Created, Improved, Organized.

• Many employers use software to scan resumes for key words. Copy words from the job posting into your resume where you can honestly do so. If the posting says "bilingual," and you speak Spanish, add it.

• A cover letter is a short letter (3-4 paragraphs, no more than one page) that introduces you and shows why you want the job. It is more personal than a resume. Many jobs do not require one, but it can help you stand out.

• Write or update your resume. Include your skills, work history, and education. Use action verbs and numbers. Have someone proofread it for spelling and grammar.