If you have ever tried writing a resume, you know how confusing the entire process is. How do you begin and what information do you include?
You won’t find a universal guide that would teach you how to compose the perfect resume. Some hiring managers want to see a brief summary on top, so they can quickly scan through the document. Others don’t like repetitiveness, so they prefer resumes without a summary section.
Being unable to read minds doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do your best efforts to craft a decent resume. The Essaymama’s infographic and tips below describes few pieces of information that you should inevitably include. If you start from there, you’ll easily create the foundation of your document, which will bring you to a concise and captivating resume.
1. Contact Info
This is the easiest way to start composing a job application document: write your full name, address, email, and phone. A professionally-looking portrait is optional, but highly recommended. The photo will help the manager remember your application.
Everyone knows you by a nickname? Don’t even think about including it! Speaking of professionalism, it’s finally time to abandon the first email name you created in high school. Create an account that’s worthy of including in a resume (it needs to contain your name).
2. Headline
The headline should enable the employer to understand who you are and how you can contribute towards the company’s growth.
The brand statement will make the employer more interested in you as a candidate. Thus, you should think of 1 or 2 sentences that explain your value, your audience, and your unique approach to work. The career objective should offer information on the type of work you would like to do, and the profile should show that you are suitable for that position.
3. Experience
This is easy: include everything! Make sure you provide the experience in chronological order and focus on the past 10-15 years. Provide the names of the companies, dates of employment, and the precise positions you worked at. Information about the salaries is not needed.
4. Education
There is not much to say here: you need to enlist the colleges/universities you attended, and the degrees you have completed. Of course, it would be great to include any honors and special awards you have earned. If you attended college, don’t include information about high school, since it’s not relevant for the particular position.
Most employers prefer to see the graduation date listed even if the candidate hasn’t completed the degree yet.
5. Skills
Think about the particular position and define the personal skills that make you an appropriate candidate. There are some universal characteristics that you can include: confident, organized, hardworking, creative, responsible, attentive to details… You should make sure these skills define you; don’t write an endless list of words that mean nothing.
6. ‘Extras’
This section should enlist your publications, certifications and licenses. It’s not the time to be modest; include all awards you have earned. Professional affiliations are also necessary. Social media profiles are acceptable, but don’t include your personal profiles. Focus on professional LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter accounts.
7. Formatting
Once you get all that information on paper, it’s time to format the content! It’s recommended to use Times New Roman font in 10-12 point size. Do not make the text overly “creative”; there is no need to use more than 2 fonts and sizes. Break up the content with bullet points to make it more readable. Adding relevant keywords will make you more attractive for Applicant Tracking Systems! The format of your resume should be .pdf, doc or .docx.
The resume should look very clean and professional, so you won’t get good attention if you use colored backgrounds, word art or clipart.
8. Grammar
If the hiring manager notices lack of literacy in your resume, it will end up in the trash. Use action words and express yourself without any slang and jargon. Do not submit the resume without editing and proofreading it!
It’s never easy to make yourself attractive through text in a specifically set format, but the above-listed guidelines will lead you in the right direction.
