A resume is a reflection of a person's experience, personality, and overall caliber as a worker. It is an index that businesses and organizations of all kinds use to measure a candidate's worth. In a field where jobs and opportunities are limited and competitive, such as teaching English as a foreign language, it is important to have a gleaming resume that is both well crafted and carefully arranged. While the formatting is relatively the same across the world, your resume needs to be well organized and thought out in order to stand out of the crowd.

Create a layout for your resume. You will have several sections -- Educational Experience, Job Experience and Volunteer Experience. Each section should be labeled as such with a line or two of space below each header before the body of text. Each point within each section will be bulleted and concisely written. The Highlights section you put at the top doesn't have to have bullets in order to be more aesthetic.

At the top of your resume use a line or two to describe the highlights of the document. Pick one or two key points that make you stand out -- things that are the most unique about your resume -- and list them briefly. This is optional. A good example of this would be: "Research and teaching experience abroad for over three years." Another option is to list a personal quality that makes you stand out. This could be: "Motivated to serve community in many ways."

Organize your educational experience. This is the first step towards getting your resume in order. Make sure to include college coursework that is pertinent to the job, your major, and any certifications you may have. Keep all information in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent first. This applies to all sections. (See Reference 1.)

List your work experience. These factors will distinguish you from other candidates. Concisely describe each experience and list your employer's name and location. Be sure to include your role in the job and not just what the organization is about. The resume is not the place to describe what you got out of the experience.

Describe any pertinent volunteer experience in the field. Teaching in general is one example of volunteer experience that may give you an edge. Having been involved with English as a Second Language (ESL) programs as an aide or through a service learning opportunity while in college is another good example. Whatever volunteer experience you list on your resume should somehow be linked to teaching at the very least.

Many employers will ask for references either with your resume or later. You should include the references in a separate document. Include area codes if you are providing a phone number. If the employer is located abroad, also include your country code. (The country code for the United States is "1" so a U.S. resident would write: 1-555-555-5555.)