Your resume is your chance to make a first impression on a potential employer so you want to ensure that it makes a positive impression. Since resumes are so crucial, many services exist offering resume templates, such as https://www.livecareer.com/resume-templates. You do not want to choose just any template, however. Instead, make sure that the resume template you select has the following elements.

Your Contact Information 

A surprising number of people forget to include their contact information in their resume. Instead of just ensuring you have some contact information, make sure that all the most common methods of contact are included. This should be your name, email address, and phone number, as well as your LinkedIn profile link. Just do not include too much information; stick to a single email address and a single phone number. Multiple emails or phone numbers can lead to confusion.

Your Career History 

It should go without saying that your resume template should include your previous work history, but the way that it includes this is also important. You want to look for a template that organizes this information to create a narrative of your professional history. This will make your resume more interesting and therefore more likely to stand out from the crowd.

Your Volunteer History 

Choose a resume template that also includes a section for unpaid experiences that are relevant to your objective and field. This should focus on volunteer work that shows leadership skills or in some way contributes to your suitability for the job listing.

Your Credentials and Certifications 

There should also be a portion of your resume that includes your credentials. This is where you include the advanced degrees or other certifications that you have achieved. Ideally, the template will place this information at the top, right underneath your name. Try not to include certifications or undergraduate degrees unless they relate to your current goals.

Your Achievements 

Any resume template should include a section for you to outline your achievements and accomplishments. Indicating that you have helped your previous teams or companies grow will be a strong point in your favor. The best way to include this in a resume is to list the most impressive (yet relevant) achievements by each job description. When it comes to achievements, include metrics so the potential employer can see exactly how you achieved that accomplishment.

An Objective 

Although not requires, many of the best resume templates will include a section for your objective. This should be a specific, concise goal that is your desired field or job and what you want to achieve.

Keywords from the Posting 

Once you find your resume template, make some adjustments as you fill it out to ensure that you have keywords from the job listing. Include these in a way that seems natural instead of simply copied and pasted. The use of keywords not only helps impress upon the resume reader that you are interested in the specific job, but it can make a significant difference if the company uses resume-scanning.