First impressions are important. Chardoc designer templates are made to grab the eye and guide it from field to field, elegantly painting a picture of a qualified candidate. However, the fanciest résumé in the world will not work well if it is not well-written.

When filling out a template, there are three simple things you can focus on to make your résumé as impactful as possible:

Be clear, concise and accurate. Describe the important aspects of your work history, education and other experiences as cleanly as possible. Each bullet point should add valuable information to the document and help the viewer understand you more deeply as a professional.

Omit irrelevant information. Now, this is a bit subjective and may vary depending on your audience, but strive to only include information that is directly related to the position to which you are applying, or perhaps other details that are undeniably relevant in another important way. There are obviously a lot of things you do at your job, but 'making coffee in the breakroom' probably doesn't impress a potential employer, even if you make an objectively mean cup of office joe.

Format your document consistently. Once an employer reads your first bullet point, they mentally process the structure of that element and subconsciously expect the next one to read similarly. Consistency here will allow the viewer to more rapidly digest the information and to comprehend it much more clearly. Keep your voice and tense consistent (avoiding the passive voice entirely) and structure your bullet points as uniformly as you can. Lets look at an example:

•perform bihourly, 72-point inspections of steam generators

Now, lets take a look at a few key things while we consider consistency. Perhaps most importantly, the bullet point begins with a verb: perform (this will be the anchor of consistency in all of our bullet points). The verb is followed by two relevant adjectives: bihourly, meaning every two hours; and 72-point, referring to the high level of detail within each of the "inspections of steam generators", which can be collectively considered one noun, for simplicity's sake. You don't have to mimic the EXACT structure of this for every bullet point; for example, you may use fewer or more verbs, adjectives or even nouns if they are relevant. Consider the next bullet point:

•design, develop, and implement new, in-house electrical infrastructure

Here we use three verbs instead of one, and a singular compound noun ("electrical infrastructure") instead of the plural "inspections..." from our previous bullet point-- yet these two bullets are still coherent in ways that matter. Read them consecutively and notice the uniform flow.

This is only one, quick example of consistency and acceptable formatting for bullet points. It is worth noting that there are many other valid structures to use with bullet points as well. Whatever type of bullet point you decide to write, try to keep it consistent in these important ways and your potential employer will be able to easily soak up all of your information for consideration.

We've got some pretty cool docs here and we're confident you'll find something that suits your needs. But here are tips for picking out the perfect résumé template:

Consider the job you're applying for. Not every résumé is necessarily a good choice for every position. Some jobs are more serious and less expressive in nature, whereas some are more creative and artistic. The former may have less tolerance for stylish applications, while the latter might actually welcome it. We can't guarantee how employers will react to your résumé, but it might help to ask yourself if the position you're applying for is one that would benefit from a more vivid representation of an applicant or a more minimal one.

Use the right features. Most of the résumés on here are designed to be flexible and customizable to a large degree, allowing users to modify headers and even delete entire sections if they want/need to. However, some of our docs have unique features unavailable in others. Do you want to include a headshot of yourself on your application? Is your work history more extensive than the average person? Perhaps you need additional fields for your important information or maybe you can cleanly condense everything onto one page... Whatever the case, at least a few of our documents should meet your requirements. Our Browse Templates section has three different levels of filtration so you can quickly navigate to the perfect template for your most specific needs.

You. Are. A. BEAST.

Let's just take a moment to acknowledge that before we begin. It's easy to feel worthless or worth less, when you apply for that dream job and don't even hear back-- when you throw your résumé around town like a newsie with rabies and no one even gives you the time of day. The whole job hunting experience can be daunting and stir up some insecurities and doubt, but take our word for it: there's no one quite like you out there. Your unique skillset and perspective make you a valuable asset to any number of lucky companies-- and we're here to help you make that obvious. You are a beast.

All about me (its your résumé afterall): Your name is one of the first things that will catch the eye of a potential employer and however you choose to represent yourself is up to you. Do you prefer a nickname to your full name? Use it, unless it's something inherently derogatory/offensive. It also might not be a good idea to use 'goofy' or 'comical' nicknames either, such as "Bubba", "Tinkles" or "Fart Face". As cool as those nicknames may be, they may hurt your chance of being taken seriously, so consider what kind of first impression your name or nickname might make. You only ever get one first impression, and it is as important as they say.

Contact is relatively straightforward, but lets go over it quickly. A classical résumé usually includes a phone number and email address, sometimes a physical address or city/state as well. In this digital age, our social media profiles can be powerful contact and showcase tools, so if you have an impressive Instagram and it somehow makes a strong case for your employment (maybe you're a photographer, designer, builder, etc.), feel free to use it! We do recommend having at least ONE traditional contact method in there (email or phone) because you never know the level of "tech literacy" the person considering you for employment has. To them, 'Sending a DM on IG' might be like trying to send a rocket into outerspace.

Education is one factor that may automatically open or close doors, depending on your status. Some emyployers will look for this field first and disregard any candidate who doesn't mean their criteria. All of our templates have education fields, but some are different. They might have a few bullet points for short achievements, or they might have one larger bullet for a comprehensive sentence or two about your college experience. Whatever format you choose, use this section to highlight the most impressive and relevant parts of your education. Where you a part of any collaborations or research projects with faculty, fellows, etc.? Did you graduate with honors? Are there any super impressive accomplishments or extracurricular activities worth mentioning? When adding ANY content to your résumé, ask yourself, "Does this help or hurt my case?"

Work history is arguably the most critical part of your résumé. Above, we talk about the importance of consistent formatting, giving a few examples. Here, we are going to focus more on content choice.
 For the company name, you can either write it out colloguially or with its business structure suffix (LLC, Inc., etc.). Depending on the job you're applying for, showing the extra information might testify to some level of professionalism on your part, or make an important distinction, but this is usually a pretty minor thing to most employers. Again, know your audience and consider how they will perceive this info.
 The wording of your job title, however, is usually much more significant. Keep in mind, you are applying for a position, so showing a potential employer that you have fulfilled similar or identical roles is a big selling point. Unless you have a very specific title, you should have some flexibility with how you choose to phrase things. Try to impress your audience, but NEVER at the expense of accuracy. Using the term "Sanitation Engineer" instead of "Custodian" or "Janitor" might be misleading, since the term 'engineer' usually implies the completion of at least a bachelor's degree and a strong background in mathematics/science. Arrogance can turn an employer away, but meekness may make you instantly forgettable. Strive for accuracy and clarity throughout your résumé, impressing your viewer with well-worded, genuine statements about yourself.
 Bullet points should be meticulously crafted-- each verb, adjective and noun you use should be thoughtfully chosen to more clearly describe your capabilities. Be specific when you can, using quantities (13,449 units, growth of 178%, etc.) to describe your accomplishments in crisp, stunning detail. Don't be redundant. Each bullet point you write should say something new about you. If you write the same thing five different ways, it might look like you didn't do much at that job. Arrange your bullet points in order of importance, with the most significant information on top and the least on the bottom. If the job you're writing about is the place where you currently work, write in the present tense; inversely, use the past tense for previous jobs.

References can be a lifeline. You've probably heard the phrase "it's not what you know, it's who you know", and there is definitely some truth to that. Having the right person as a reference can greatly increase your chance at an interview, but you should treat references as 'supplimental' sources for your credibility, not 'primary' ones. If you haven't impressed your viewer with your background, even the best reference might fail to persuade a potential employer. Choose references who can verify the claims you've made in your résumé and add useful notes about your relation to each reference. Obviously, only choose people you are on good terms with and, as mentioned before, don't stretch the truth.

Other/Misc:
 Some templates have different fields for additional personal information. With your audience in mind, include any info that builds a stronger case for your employment. For many employers, having a quick list of skills is a good idea. Software proficiency is something many modern companies value or require (Microsoft Office, CRM software, Linux, etc.)-- or perhaps the company you're applying to values/requires skills for operating equipment, machines, etc. Certifications should be formatted with prominent numbers and dates clearly displayed. Achievements should be used for extra-noteworthy accomplishments that stand on their own, or perhaps aren't part of any formal job you've included (maybe you had a remarkable personal project). Volunteer work can be an additional testament to your character and/or skill. Although, be careful with controversial or politically-charged organizations. Your employer may have strong political or moral reservations themselves. Sometimes it's best to stay neutral.