Crafting the perfect resume is a task that never seems to be completed. It just never seems to look right… That’s because you haven’t learned five secrets that will help you write the best resume ever!

1. Mix it up

As easy as it is to send one and be done, it’s that easy for your resume to be thrown in the trash. Employers are crunched for time and only want to read about your experiences that are relevant to not only the position, but the field. For example, if you’re applying for a marketing internship, leave your experience working at your school newspaper off the page (or at least further down.) Including only relevant experience makes you appear niche-ly qualified, even if it takes up less space on the page.

Writing multiple resumes sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? Try creating a master resume of all your experience in every field do all your have to do is copy and past you most relevant experience to a new resume.

2. Simplicity is key

Everyone has the same old resume format. Black and white and boring. So, wouldn’t it be a great idea to add some color and fancy fonts? No! Even if your resume (aesthetically) looks the same as everyone else’s, the most important factor is that it is clean and readable. Let your accomplishments do the talking. Check out my tried and true resume template here.

3. The one page rule

The golden rule of resumes: one page, and one page only! Like we’ve repeated over and over again, employers are busy people who don’t have the time to read pages and pages about everything you’ve accomplished. Keep it relevant and concise.

4. Fragments are your friend

Scratch everything you’ve learned in every English class you’ve ever taken and flaunt those fragments! Employers are busy bees and don’t want to spend time reading complete sentences. Bullet pointing your accomplishments using fragments is easier and quicker to read.

5. Don’t tell it; show it!

If an employer wanted to know the tasks associated with your previous job, they would just read the job description. Sure, tasks show what you did, but what makes you stand out is showing what you ACCOMPLISHED. Everyone lists the tasks they completed because, not only is it easier, it’s thought that’s what employers want to know. The space on your resume is much better used telling how you did something instead of what you did.

Now, get to editing! Need more help? Check out my resume guide and template, that will make writing and formatting your resume a breeze!