Answers to Frequently Asked Questions | JobHero

A resume template is a useful tool that:

• Provides an overall structure and design for a resume.
• Organizes your information within a professionally designed framework.
• Gives your resume a polished look.
• Is a reliable blueprint for a successful resume.

After choosing the best resume template for your needs, then it’s time to write your resume.

JobHero’s Resume Builder helps you do this section by section quickly and easily. Just click “Create a new resume,” and we will walk you through the steps to fill out each section. We’ll even provide relevant keywords and give you tips throughout the process. You’ll have the chance to save your progress along the way and edit your work before you save and download your final resume.

Yes! JobHero features professional resume and cover letter templates that are easy to read and designed to impress employers.

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software program that recruiters and hiring managers use to scan resumes and cover letters for relevance to job openings. They look for keywords and phrases that match the job description and rank candidates based on how much their resumes and cover letters meet the employer’s requirements for the position.

Yes! JobHero’s resume templates are optimized to pass applicant tracking system software. Our professionally designed, recruiter-approved templates ensure proper placement of your information, correct use of headers and footers, appropriate fonts, and clear margins. Having all those pieces in place makes it easier for ATS programs to accept resumes.

A resume example is a guidepost for job applicants who want inspiration to write their resumes. Resume samples show job seekers format ideas, well-written work history and professional summary examples and provide insight to how your competition’s resumes might look.

To get the best use of a resume example:

• Think about the type of job you want.
• Consider your work experience.
• See how others describe their work history.
• Select the appropriate format to showcase your accomplishments.
• Study the resume example and apply good ideas to your resume.

There are three main resume formats: chronological, functional and hybrid/combination.

The chronological format is the most widely used, and is ideal for job seekers with a long work history. Functional resumes, also known as “skills-based” resumes, put job seekers’ skills front and center. The hybrid/combination format is just as it sounds: a mix of the functional and chronological formats.

The resume format you choose depends on your career level, work history and professional goals.

Resumes should be no more than two-pages long. Most job seekers will only use one page, but some applicants with more than 10 years of experience will find that two pages suit them better. A well-written resume will always be short and to the point while conveying a candidate’s qualifications accurately and clearly.

JobHero’s Resume Builder makes it easy to build an interview-winning resume in just minutes. Here’s how:

1. Choose a resume template you like.
2. Answer a few questions (i.e., “How much work experience do you have?”).
3. Fill out each section in the template — we’ll guide you!
4. Customize your resume to suit the job for which you’re applying.
5. Proofread and edit your resume.
6. Save and download it.
7. Send it to the employer along with your cover letter in a variety of file formats!

Yes! You need to create a new resume for every job you apply to.

You should customize your information for each position, company and industry. No job is identical: Even if you apply for roles with the same job title in the same industry, there will be differences. Besides, every company has different perspectives and goals and your resume should speak to those things first and foremost. So read each job description carefully and tailor your resume to match it.

JobHero’s Resume Builder makes it easy to customize your resume for each job. You can start from scratch by picking a new template for each job, or you can edit and rewrite a previous resume after you’ve saved and downloaded it.

Just make sure you save it with a new file name for the next job!

You can write a resume in just 15 minutes using our Resume Builder.

Unless you are an actor or a model, you should not add your photo to your resume.

Here are the top-five reasons why:

1. It’s not necessary. Your resume has to be succinct and fit all your relevant qualifications, so you need all the space you can get. A photo won’t help you get an interview, but it will eat up precious space.
2. It’s distracting. You want hiring managers to focus on your relevant attributes and work experience, not your photo.
3. It can be used to discriminate. Whether intentional or not, a hiring manager might discriminate against you based on race, gender and age. Most companies have policies to reject resumes with photos instantly to avoid accusations of discrimination down the line.
4. It is not ATS-friendly. Applicant tracking systems, which most companies use to parse and scan resumes for relevance, can not read images. If an ATS can’t scan your otherwise perfect resume because it has a photo, then it will reject it immediately, eliminating your chance to get the job.
5. It is considered unprofessional. It’s true. Many hiring managers think resumes with headshots are unprofessional, primarily due to the factors listed above. Those hiring managers won’t take you seriously as a candidate and will reject you without even bothering to read your credentials.

There are several reasons to avoid using graphics and fancy fonts on your resume, including:

• Applicant tracking systems (ATS) can’t scan resumes filled with graphics and inappropriate fonts, so it’s likely your resume won’t make it to a hiring manager, and all your effort will be wasted.
• It will look like you’re trying too hard, making hiring managers see you as desperate. Hiring managers don’t want desperate candidates.
• They detract from your qualifications. Hiring managers are busy, so they need to be able to read through your resume quickly. Don’t make them look for your relevant information, or they may just move on to the next candidate.
• Some hiring managers see graphical resumes as unprofessional. Sure, a highly stylized resume might get you noticed, but not in a positive way.

Accomplishments are super important to your resume because they indicate to employers what you can achieve for them. Add them to your work history instead of listing your responsibilities, and quantify them with numbers for the most significant impact.

For example:

Instead of: “Takes vital signs, records health data, and performs procedures including venipuncture, measuring blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration, weight and height.

Try: “Measures and records health data and performs routine procedures such as venipuncture for an average of 65 patients per day with a consistent patient approval rating of 100%.”

The best way to determine which skills to use on your resume is to read the job description carefully and take note of which requirements match your skill set. List those skills on your resume, taking care to use a mix of soft and hard skills to convey that you are well-rounded.

The general rule of thumb for how much experience to show on a resume is no more than 10 years to stay current and keep your resume at the recommended two-page maximum. It is possible to show 15 to 20 years of experience if you think it’s necessary, but if you do, then keep it concise. It helps if you’ve only worked for a handful of jobs in that time and if you use a hybrid/combination resume format.

• Provide the overall structure and design for cover letters.
• Organize cover letters within a recruiter-approved framework.
• Give cover letters a polished look.
• Are reliable blueprints for successful cover letters.

After choosing the best cover template for your needs, then it’s time to write your cover letter. JobHero’s Cover Letter Builder helps you do this section by section quickly and easily. Just click “Create a new cover letter,” and we will walk you through the steps to fill out each section. We’ll even provide relevant keywords and give you tips throughout the process. You’ll have the chance to save your progress along the way and edit your work before you save and download your final cover letter.

• Think about the type of job you want.
• Consider your work experience.
• Review the design, which is the template you will use to build your cover letter.
• Study the cover letter example and apply what you learn to your cover letter.

A cover letter format is a framework that makes your cover letter clean and readable — from the way it is organized to its line spaces, margins, font types and font sizes.

If you have looked for the hiring manager’s name but still can’t find it, then address them in specific terms, like “Accounting Department Hiring Manager.” That way, your cover letter will likely go to the right person.

1. Choose a cover letter template using our cover letter examples to guide you.
2. Upload your existing cover letter or personalize one of ours.
3. Use the job-specific example text from our builder to help you create compelling and descriptive paragraphs based on your job experience and qualifications.
4. Polish it off with our easy-to-use formatting tool and spell-checker.
5. Proofread it for grammar and accuracy.
6. Save and download it.
7. Send it to the employer along with your resume.

JobHero’s Cover Letter Builder takes just 15 minutes to use from start to finish!

Unless the job application instructions state “Do not send a cover letter,” you should always send one, even if the instructions do not ask for one or if they imply that one is not necessary. When coupled with a strong resume, a good cover letter can be the critical factor in getting an interview. This is because cover letters help you stand out, provide the opportunity to introduce yourself, and give depth and context to the information on your resume.