When it comes to creating a resume to represent your skills and qualifications for a job, it is all about appearing professional. However, there is little that makes you look less professional than poor formatting.
Many jobseekers do not realize there is a strict set of expectations for resume formatting, but many employers will not even read a resume unless it is obvious at a glance that it follows their requirements. Not only that, but the standard professional resume format strategically improves your chances of making a good impression. Anyone can write a strong resume if they follow the formatting principles in this guide.
Professional Resume Format
Samantha Harrison
Orlando, Florida 11111
P: 111-555-5555 E: sharrison@anymail.com
Orlando, Florida 11111
P: 111-555-5555 E: sharrison@anymail.com
Professional Summary
Talented and flexible customer service expert with more than 8 years of professional service experience in the service and management fields. Experienced in interacting with customers, handling money, delegating tasks, and completing administrative responsibilities. Possess extensive communication abilities, including interpersonal and professional through oral and written means.
Core Qualifications
• Management and leadership skills
• Highly experienced in customer service
• Critical thinking, analysis, and evaluation
• Interpersonal and professional communication
• Negotiation abilities
• Problem-solving
• Good attention to small details
Working Experience
Shift Manager – December 2015 to present
Atlantic Department Store, Orlando, Florida
• Oversee all employees on the customer service team at all times, addressing issues and resolving conflicts
• Count cashiers’ registers to account for all money and verify that no errors occurred
• Interact with customers with complaints, employing negotiation techniques to respectfully and tactfully resolve issues and ensure customer satisfaction
• Create the weekly schedule, accounting for individual team member abilities and labor needs
• Provide guidance to new customer service employees or those with questions
• Delegate tasks to employees to ensure all responsibilities are quickly and correctly completed
• Improve customer satisfaction rating by nearly 10%
Assistant Shift Manager – May 2013 to December 2015
Atlantic Department Store, Orlando, Florida
• Provided assistance to the shift manager on a daily basis
• Handled customers, completed transactions, exchanged money, and provided accurate change
• Answered customers questions about products, transactions, store layout, and any other aspects
• Maintained working knowledge of the store, all product descriptions and locations, and company policies to provide information to employees or customers immediately and accurately
• Held position in the top 10% of assistant shift managers for 2 years
Customer Service Representative – August 2009 to May 2013
Atlantic Department Store, Orlando, Florida
• Interacted with customers, completing transactions quickly and precisely
• Communicated with customers respectfully and professionally at all times
• Resolved customer complaints as much as possible, directing major issues to management
• Answered customer questions accurately and professionally
• Completed an average of 75 transactions per hour each day
• Maintained cash register accuracy rating of 95% on average for 4 years
Education
Bachelor of Science in Communication
University of Orlando – 2016
Is This a Good Professional Resume Format? Let’s Check
1. Did this resume format its experience section correctly?
It absolutely did. The experience section is the most important part of your resume, so you should make sure you format yours as closely to this template’s example as possible. Include between five and eight bullet points for each position and begin each one with a strong action verb.
You should also list your previous positions in reverse order, beginning with the most recent and going backwards. Only current positions should be in present tense, with all others in past tense. These are the formatting principals that employers expect to see.
2. How is the formatting in the rest of the resume?
While the experience section is the most important, you should not neglect the rest of your resume, and this jobseeker nailed the formatting throughout the document. The summary is only a few sentences long, the core qualifications take the form of a bulleted list, and the education section is as short as possible. As you can see, the formatting expectations for these sections are less complex but still present.
3. Were the standard resume sections included?
Yes, they were. Every resume should always include a summary, core skills section, experience section, and education section, typically in that order. Depending on your unique situation, it may be appropriate or necessary to include an award or accomplishments section to list your acknowledgements. This is usually only necessary for jobseekers with less working experience to showcase. Generally include no other sections besides those listed here.
4. Does the writer effectively manage the flow of the resume?
Of course. The sign of professional resume format is good flow, and this resume sample is a clear example of what flow in a resume should look like. Because the experience section is the most important, the entire resume works to get the reader to that part. The summary and core qualifications sections are brief, which guides the reader along without taking up too much time, while communicating the more basic professional information.
5. Does the resume look good at a glance?
The resume does look good. There are no intimidating blocks of text or wasteful gaps in the information. This is an often-overlooked aspect of formatting. While proofreading, take a broader look at your resume to see if it is inviting or unappealing at a glance.
The Most Important Professional Resume Format Takeaways
As you see in the above resume template and the discussion of its strongest points, format is a big deal when applying for work. Remember that a poorly formatted resume can greatly impact your ability to convince employers to hire you.
One of the biggest takeaways you should have is that the work experience section really is the most important part of your resume. Employers may overlook some minor issues elsewhere, but there should be absolutely no errors in the experience section. Follow the above professional resume format strategies and principals to make sure your resume is eye-catching and appealing to employers.
