From Service to Success:
Build the Resume That Opens Doors
Turn Your Military Experience Into Career Momentum
Get Started
Personalized Support for Veterans
Ready to create a brand-new resume? Or update your old resume?
Vet Jobs America, Inc.'s Resume Guide will help you create a resume
that will stand out in today's job market. You'll find:
- A step-by-step plan for what to include in your resume
- Tips to write, format, and polish your resume
- Resume samples, resume templates
- Online resume tips, including using tools like LinkedIn and Facebook
- Professional resume tips
Get Started
Personalized Support for Veterans
Ready to create a brand-new resume? Or update your old resume?
Vet Jobs America, Inc.'s Resume Guide will help you create a resume
that will stand out in today's job market. You'll find:
- A step-by-step plan for what to include in your resume
- Tips to write, format, and polish your resume
- Resume samples, resume templates
- Online resume tips, including using tools like LinkedIn and Facebook
- Professional resume tips
Personal Assistance for Your Resume Journey
Need some personal assistance for your resume? Looking for more help with your resume? Try these resources:
- American Job Centers are located in every state, and can assist you with resume writing, skills assessment, job search strategies, and more. Find an American Job Center near you.
- Your public library is also a great resource for resume and job search books; many offer free resume-writing and job search workshops. Locate your local public library.
- Most colleges and universities have career centers. Current students and graduates are generally eligible for free career counseling and resume-writing help. Some centers offer the same services to the public for a small fee.
- A professional resume writer may be able to help, but check to confirm the writer's credentials before hiring them. To learn what to look for and find local resources, visit the National Resume Writers Association.
Top Strategies to Make Your Resume Shine
Highlight your best points with these resume writing methods. It's easy to create a resume that looks like everyone else's. But to win that interview, you need to go beyond the standard approach. Here are four strategies that will get your resume noticed:
- Sell yourself and your brand
- Identify your transferable skills
- Highlight your accomplishments ·
- Applicant tracking systems
Smart Tools to Highlight Your Strengths
You can find many free or low-cost AI tools that can help write your resume. You can use general AI tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot. These tools change frequently; find the best fit for your needs by searching for "AI tools" or "free AI tools" and reading the descriptions. You can also use AI tools that specialize in resumes. Search for "AI resume tools" or "free AI resume tools" to find a good fit for your needs. To help highlight your strengths on your resume, try these activities:
If you have a current or past job description, as
k an AI tool to read it and create a list of skills you can include on your resume.
If you have a current resume, ask an AI tool to review it and make suggestions for strengthening it.
If you have a job posting you want to apply for, ask an AI tool to review the posting along with your resume and make suggestions for targeting your resume to the job posting.
What to Include
Essential Resume Sections and What They Say About You
| Resume Section | What It Tells the Reader |
|---|---|
| Top portion of resume (first third to half) | If your resume is worth reading further. This opening "snapshot" should entice readers to read more. |
| Header (name and contact information) | Your preferred name and how to contact you. The reader shouldn't have to think about this (e.g., wonder what name you go by). |
| Headline and Summary | What you're looking for and why you're qualified. Announces your job target and quickly sums up why you're a good candidate. This is usually a stronger section than an "Objective" which used to be more common. |
| Skills | Whether you have the required skills. Helps the reader quickly match your skills to the position requirements. |
| Work Experience / Professional Experience / Employment History | What you've accomplished that's relevant. Explains what you've achieved that could also benefit the reader's company. |
| Education | Whether you meet the education requirements. Again, helps the reader quickly match you to the position requirements. |
| Continuing Education / Professional Development / Additional Training | Continuing Education / Professional Development / Additional Training |
| Other Information | What other assets you offer, such as professional memberships, awards, etc. to support your candidacy. |
What to Include
Essential Resume Sections and What They Say About You
| Resume Section | What It Tells the Reader |
|---|---|
| Top portion of resume (first third to half) | If your resume is worth reading further. This opening "snapshot" should entice readers to read more. |
| Header (name and contact information) | Your preferred name and how to contact you. The reader shouldn't have to think about this (e.g., wonder what name you go by). |
| Headline and Summary | What you're looking for and why you're qualified. Announces your job target and quickly sums up why you're a good candidate. This is usually a stronger section than an "Objective" which used to be more common. |
| Skills | Whether you have the required skills. Helps the reader quickly match your skills to the position requirements. |
| Work Experience / Professional Experience / Employment History | What you've accomplished that's relevant. Explains what you've achieved that could also benefit the reader's company. |
| Education | Whether you meet the education requirements. Again, helps the reader quickly match you to the position requirements. |
| Continuing Education / Professional Development / Additional Training | Continuing Education / Professional Development / Additional Training |
| Other Information | What other assets you offer, such as professional memberships, awards, etc. to support your candidacy. |
Design Smart
Layout Tips That Make Your Resume Easy to Read
Want your resume to be read by employers? The content of your resume is by far the most important factor. But design is important, too, for a couple of reasons: · Your resume must be easy to read, and good design makes that possible. Design calls attention to key sections of your resume, such as work experience and education. · A well-designed resume reflects positively on your skills. Sloppy or careless design may give a negative impression, even if you're well-qualified.
| Technique | Why It's Important |
|---|---|
| White space | Lots of white space makes text easier to read. Text that's too dense may discourage time-pressed readers from reading further. |
| Bullets | Bulleted text allows you to break down complex information into readable chunks, and also highlight key points. |
| Easy-to-scan headings | Your reader should be able to quickly locate key areas on your resume, such as education, without extensive searching. |
| Limited number of fonts | Use no more than two font styles—one for headings and the other for body text. More than that is distracting.s. |
| Selective use of bold | Use bold carefully and consistently. For example, if you bold the name of one company you've worked for, do it in all cases. |
| No underlining (except links) | No underlining (except links) |
| Consistent spacing | Continuing Education / Professional Development / Additional Training |
| Better-quality paper (print) | For print resumes, use better-quality paper with a rag content of at least 25% and a watermark. |
| Neutral color (print) | Use white, off-white or pale gray. These are conservative colors that won't compete with the content of your resume. |
Design Smart
Layout Tips That Make Your Resume Easy to Read
Want your resume to be read by employers? The content of your resume is by far the most important factor. But design is important, too, for a couple of reasons: · Your resume must be easy to read, and good design makes that possible. Design calls attention to key sections of your resume, such as work experience and education. · A well-designed resume reflects positively on your skills. Sloppy or careless design may give a negative impression, even if you're well-qualified.
| Technique | Why It's Important |
|---|---|
| White space | Lots of white space makes text easier to read. Text that's too dense may discourage time-pressed readers from reading further. |
| Bullets | Bulleted text allows you to break down complex information into readable chunks, and also highlight key points. |
| Easy-to-scan headings | Your reader should be able to quickly locate key areas on your resume, such as education, without extensive searching. |
| Limited number of fonts | Use no more than two font styles—one for headings and the other for body text. More than that is distracting.s. |
| Selective use of bold | Use bold carefully and consistently. For example, if you bold the name of one company you've worked for, do it in all cases. |
| No underlining (except links) | No underlining (except links) |
| Consistent spacing | Continuing Education / Professional Development / Additional Training |
| Better-quality paper (print) | For print resumes, use better-quality paper with a rag content of at least 25% and a watermark. |
| Neutral color (print) | Use white, off-white or pale gray. These are conservative colors that won't compete with the content of your resume. |
Go Plain
How to Create a Clean, Plain-Text Resume
Although most companies will be able to handle your resume in Word format, occasionally you may need to have a plain-text resume that's been stripped of formatting. To create one, follow these steps:
To create one, follow these steps:
- Copy your resume into a plain text editor like Notepad, which should be available as an accessory on your computer. Most of the formatting should be gone.
- Change any remaining bullets to asterisks, and space once after the asterisk.
- For your main section headings, such as Work Experience, change to all caps so the headings stand out.
- Add spacing between sections as necessary for readability.
Get in Touch with us Today
Fill out the form below, and we'll get in touch with you soon.
GET IN TOUCH
We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Please try again later.
Nonprofit Status
Vet Jobs America, Inc. is a valid nonprofit recognized by the IRS.
501(C)(3) Charitable Nonprofit
All veteran employment services/resources are free.
Charity Name: Vet Jobs America, Inc.
Tax ID: 81-2397022
Business Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 890290
East Weymouth, MA 02189
Company Officers:
Mr. William deLuze, CEO | BillD@VetJobsAmerica.org
1SG Benjamin Roberts, Ret. Executive Vice President | BenR@VetJobsAmerica.org
Contact Information:
Boston, Massachusetts
info@vetjobsamerica.org
(800) 947-7925