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Writing a Resume: Where to Start

When you’re on the hunt for a job, the best place to start is creating a resume! If you’ve never created a resume before, or you haven’t updated your current one in a while, it may be time to start the process. Writing a resume can be overwhelming, especially when there are so many ways to go about it! Arion Care’s exclusive tips on resume writing can be found below – and we’re happy to help guide you through the process. You can also email your resume to us at careers@arioncare.com and we’d be happy to provide you with feedback.

Step 1: Finding the Right Template

Whether you use Microsoft Word or Google Docs, each platform should have a list of templates from which you can choose. Simplest is usually best, so try to find something that doesn’t have a lot of color or obscure formatting. Employers prefer resumes that they can easily read and navigate, so be sure to choose a template with a readable font and font size, as well as a cohesive color scheme.

Below are two examples of resume template options from Microsoft Word. The example resume on the left is ideal, while the example on the right may not be the best template choice:

The template on the left is clean, readable, and has all of the important headers you’d need for a successful resume. The template on the right, which has been edited with some seemingly fun text options, is not easy to read and can be difficult for an employer to understand. By having multiple colors, fonts, and formatting types, employers may not be able to give your resume the attention it deserves.

Step 2: Filling in the Blanks

Now that you’ve picked your template, it’s time to fill it out! Don’t put pressure on yourself to complete every section of the template – just use everything you can to the best of your ability and remove the rest. Starting from the top, let’s review some general pointers you can follow when it comes to inputting your information into the template:

Always include your full name and contact information!
- Email addresses and phone numbers are the best way for Arion Care recruiters to reach out to you, so please be sure to include both on your resume. LinkedIn pages or other forms of social media are appreciated but not necessary by any means. It is also not necessary to include your full home address on an initial resume; that can be collected at time of application/interview.

We want to know your experience – both personal and professional!
- A large majority of caregivers get their start by working with friends or family, and that definitely counts as experience! For those that are stay-at-home parents or those that have just graduated and may not have a lot of experience, please include any childcare or elder care experience you may have. Working with kids of your own, parents or grandparents, or general babysitting experience is acceptable.

Tell us your education, but drop the GPA!
- We’d love to know if you were able to attend schooling of any kind, but we won’t need to know your GPA or other personal information. When interviewing applicants, Arion Care strives to reach a diverse crowd of job seekers. This means that while we’d like to know your background, we won’t decline your resume due to a poor GPA or lack of furthered education.

Include your greatest strengths!
- Whether you’re bilingual, proficient in technology use, or have additional certifications, we’d love to know! Use varying adjectives to describe yourself, such as “Dedicated caregiver,” “Expert in Hoyer Lift use,” or “Proficient in patient care and communication.” Highlighting your top strengths as a caregiver, CNA, or Behavioral Health Technician is important for Arion Care recruiters to get to know you, even before an interview!

Step 3: Proofreading

The last piece to any document creation is proofreading. Make sure that you don’t have any spelling errors, your contact information is correct, and that you didn’t forget to delete any unused sections of the resume template. Recruiters and employers have seen it all – so make your resume stand out by presenting your best self! Free websites like www.grammarly.com allow you to input your text resume to check for spelling and grammar issues.

At Arion Care, we understand that resume writing can be intimidating. Crafting the right words to describe your experience isn’t always easy, so having a little bit of help along the way can push you in the right direction! You can always reach out to your Arion Care team at careers@arioncare.com for additional questions or assistance, or check out our Resume Tips video on YouTube for a virtual resume walkthrough! (provide link).