What You Must Know About Creating Your Resume Using MS Word (Part 1)

Want to create a killer resume in a rush? MS Word might be the best option you have. You can write an excellent resume that both appeals to the human eye and gets past the ATS unscathed if you know the right tricks.

There are some readymade attractive templates available on MS Word. All you have to do is select the template you like and start filling in those blank spaces with your awesome experience. However, most MS Word resume templates are not ATS-friendly. The best way to overcome this slight obstacle is by creating your resume from scratch.

You don’t need to be a seasoned MS Word guru to do this. A simple online search can reward you with millions of results about creating an MS Word resume from scratch. Or you can choose the easy way out and read this article to find all the best instructions simplified in one place.

Avoid MS Word resume templates

Don’t want to get ghosted by companies? Ditch the resume templates. You will gain nothing by sending in a non-ATS-friendly resume to employers. A hiring manager wouldn’t even see your resume because the bots will throw it in the bin due to parsing errors.

Before you start typing, handle the formatting

ATSs don’t just scan your resume for keywords. They are programmed to scan keywords, experience, and education to margin width and even font. Use these pre-typing formatting options to optimize your resume for the ATS:

• Set your margins to be above 0.5 inches all the way around. 0.75 and one-inch margins work well too.
• Select only two fonts for your resume. These will distinguish between your headers and body text.
• Use the “Paragraph” formatting ribbon and ensure that the “Multiple” line spacing is set to 1.06. Use “6 pt.” in the “Before” box to squish your lines together and create more white space.

You can also use the “Font” and “Styles” formatting ribbons to set the font size, colors, headers, and section separators of your resume.

Using colors on your resume

Applying colors to your resume will help add a personal touch while making your resume stand out among others. Here are some general guidelines for using color on your resume:

• Use color to draw the recruiter’s attention to the essential information
• Contact info and headers should be highlighted using bright colors
• Subheadings, position titles, degrees, etc. can be highlighted using complementary colors
• Avoid using red color for your resume

Create your resume sections

Although you have the freedom to select the resume sections you want to appear on your resume, it is wise to create the following sections so you don’t miss anything important:

• Contact Information
• Title
• Summary
• Skills
• Experience
• Education
• Other (e.g., Affiliations, Licenses, Certifications, Volunteerism)

Creating the Contact Information section of your resume

Add your name on the top of your resume in a line of its own so it pops out. You can type your name in all caps or increase the font size. Include your city, state, zip code/postal code, phone, email, and links to any related online portfolios. Since your resume will be sent over email, avoid mentioning your full address. ATSs are programmed to look for resumes within a given radius and your resume will get lost in the search f you don’t mention your zip code.

Title and Resume Summary sections

The job title of your intended position should be included on the top of your resume alongside your name. You can use all caps, small caps, larger text, or bold text to make the title stand out. Centering the job title and assigning a different color also will help make it pop. Ensure the resume summary is no longer than 5 sentences. Be concise and specific while mentioning your qualifications, skills, experience, and professional achievements that make you the best fit for the position.

Stay tuned for the second part of this article for more tips on creating your resume using MS Word!