Your resume should highlight your knowledge, skills, abilities, experiences, and accomplishments as they relate to your career goals. Your resume advertises you as a candidate for a job, internship, or other position. It is used as a primary screening to determine the most qualified applicants. The first step to catch the recruiter’s eye or pass through an electronic screening system is creating a good resume that effectively shows your experiences and skills.
What is Resume?
A resume is a document a job seeker uses to promote your skills, abilities, and knowledge to a potential employer. It uses your past experiences and accomplishments to position you for future opportunities. From an employer’s perspective, resumes are used to identify qualified candidates to invite to an interview. It does not generate job offers, but well-written resumes do facilitate interviews. They are considered marketing tools. The resume is important, but it is one of several steps that make up a successful job search.
How to Write a Good Resume.
For a resume to be considered good certain things are to be considered, which are as follows
1. Look for keywords in the job posting.
The best place to start when preparing to write a good resume is to read the job postings that interest you carefully. As you apply for different jobs, study each job description for keywords that show what the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate. Include those keywords in your resume where relevant.
2. Review resume examples for your industry.
When crafting a good resume, you might study examples of resumes from your industry for inspiration and best practices. Samples are useful examples of high-quality resumes used in your industry and for your job title. While there are many ways you can use resume samples, there are three main takeaways to look for:
- Simplicity: Resume samples are straightforward because employers have minimal time to review your resume, so readability is key.
- Brevity: Always keep your resume short and to the point, including the summary and experience descriptions.
- Numbers: There are often metrics in the experience section of resume samples because employers are highly responsive to measurable proven value.
3. Use a professional font.
Always use a basic, clean font like Arial or Times New Roman. Keep your font size between 10 and 12 points. Selecting a clear, readable font can help make your resume appear more professional. Reduce or eliminate any extraneous white space. You make it easier for the resume reader to focus only on the content of your resume instead of the white spaces. You can reduce white space by increasing your font size to 12 points.
4. Include only relevant information.
While you might have extensive work or educational experience, it’s essential to keep it as brief as possible without leaving out key information. If your resume includes old or irrelevant information, such as jobs held more than 10 years ago or minor degrees and achievements, it may distract from key information. An example to leave off would be a GPA of 3.2 or a certification in an unrelated field.
5. Use active language.
Write your resume using active language without extraneous words. This means using power words, such as “achieved,” “earned,” “completed” or “accomplished.” If your resume is too long or seems hard to read, you might consider making sentences shorter or ideas more concise.
6. Call attention to important achievements.
Instead of listing your job duties under the experience section, select your top three or four most important achievements in each role you’ve held. Where possible, include numbers that measure your success for that particular goal or achievement.
7. Only include subheadings and sections you need.
Whether you’re using a resume template or creating your own, you may find there are some recommended sections you don’t need. For example, suppose you’re graduating from college or high school and have not yet held a professional position. In that case, you might replace the experience section with relevant coursework, academic achievements, and other experiences like internships or extracurricular projects. You may also find it useful to combine sections if you’re having trouble filling a section with more than two bullet points.
8. Choose appropriate margins.
Typically, you can use a one-inch margin size on all sides of your resume with single spaces between the lines. If you have too much white space, consider spacing your lines by 1.15 or 1.5. You can also increase your margins if you find it difficult to fill, but make sure they stay below two inches.
9. Proofread.
Before sending your resume, undergo several rounds of proofreading to ensure there are no spelling or grammar errors. While you can use several proofreading programs and tools, it’s also helpful to ask trusted friends or colleagues to review your resume. It’s helpful for an objective third party to look at your resume as an employer to find ways you can correct or improve it.
10. Make multiple versions of your resume.
Before applying, you ask yourself, “Have I made it as easy as possible for this employer to see that I’m qualified?” If you’re applying for a job with unique requirements, you may need another version of your resume to demonstrate your qualifications fully. Decide on a case-by-case basis which resumes to use. Once you finalize your resume, it can help you get more callbacks, interviews, and job offers.
How to Use a Resume to Get an Interview.
While the job market right now is tough and some industries are becoming nearly impossible to find work in, there are still elements you can control. Here are four tips to transform a good resume into a great interview, and ultimately a great job offer.
1. Know your resume.
It should go without saying, but it’s so important that you know your resume. If you’ve had someone help you or had it professionally written, that’s not bad. It’s a sign that you’re invested in your future. However, as much as a professional writer can make you sound amazing on paper, you still need to know what your resume is selling. If you arrive on the day of the interview and you’re asked about your experience with strategic planning, because it was a keyword that seemed to belong, be sure you’re ready to deliver with proof.
2. Know the company/job.
People are always told to research the company before the interview and it’s true. It goes beyond reading their web content, though. Why do you want to work there? How will you fit into the organization and how does this particular position fit what you’re promising in your resume? Be prepared to bring them back to the resume and to reiterate your accomplishments, as well as to demonstrate how those will be true when you’re hired to work for them. They invited you in because your resume attracted them, so make sure that you remind them why.
Related: Job Search: 8 Successful Job Search Tips
3. Cover the gaps.
With that in mind, no resume says everything. You left off skills and achievements that may still be relevant. They likely saw something quickly in your resume, but they didn’t memorize it. While you’re reiterating what they liked about you as a candidate, don’t forget to give them even more. The interview should not be a list of the same information they already know. When asked for examples of results, don’t rely too heavily on the ones you included. Make sure to make yourself fully three-dimensional. Use the interview format to your advantage.
4. The old rules apply.
Of course, all the stand-by interview tips still apply. Dress well, be on time, have questions for them, and follow up with a thank you note! If 500 people applied for the position, and 200 resumes made it to the hiring manager, there are still likely 20 or 30 in the running during interviews. You want to stand out, but you want to do so in a way that enhances your resume while adding new information that engages and intrigues the people you meet.
7 Good Resume Tips for Freshers.
Well as the name already suggests, a fresher is considered to be someone who hasn’t professionally worked on a full-time basis with any organization in the past. Having said that, in many organizations candidates who are switching over to a new professional field are also considered freshers.
Here are some important resume tips for freshers to consider while drafting a resume.
1. Be On Point.
A fresher looking for their first job needs to be much more convincing than a normal resume. It needs to be apt & must give maximum information using minimum words. An unstructured, exhaustive resume can lower the chances of a fresher getting shortlisted drastically.
2. Resume Headlines.
A fresher’s resume should always have unique headlines that are aligned with the job responsibilities expected of an ideal candidate. Highlight your key skills & in brief, let the recruiter know why you would be a great choice for that position.
3. Customize your Resume as Per Requirement.
Understand the job description of the position you are applying for and customize your resume along the same lines to maximize your chances of getting shortlisted. For example, if a job requirement gives paramount importance to teamwork, highlight attributes of teamwork that may brighten your chances of getting shortlisted.
4. Structured Information.
A fresher’s resume format usually doesn’t have too much professional experience to back up the CV, hence an intelligent approach is required. Rather than filling your resume randomly, a proper structure should be maintained. It should give details about the candidate’s education, skills, technical skills, internships & so on.
Related: Job Interview: How to Answer Interview Questions
5. Choose your Words Correctly.
While modern-day digital communication has ruined our language’s basic aesthetics, professionally professional language ethics must be followed. The use of slang words in your resume will kill your chances of getting even considered. Revise your work once to find slang words if any before forwarding it for job consideration.
6. Check Grammar.
Wrong grammar in any professional environment is unacceptable. Ensure your grammar is correct & there are no spelling errors. It creates quite a negative impression on the recruiter which can have terrible consequences on your job prospects.
7. Handpick Skills to Highlight.
In a CV format for freshers, highlighting skills that may suit the required criteria which may prove hard to handpick. Depending on the job description, highlight skills that may make sense to the recruiter.
5 Good Resume Tips for Students
The job market is competitive, so if you’re a student or recent graduate on the job hunt, you need to make sure your resume is compelling and persuasive. Below is a list of the most essential tips to keep in mind;
1. Tailor your resume to the job role.
One of the most important things to do in terms of updating your resume is to tailor every application you submit to the job and company you’re applying to. This might mean tweaking your profile or updating your skill set so that it aligns with each position you’re applying for. The best way to do this is to look through the job description and highlight the key skills, education, and experience that the employer is looking for. This way, you can include keywords that will grab the recruiter’s attention or help your resume sail through an applicant tracking system (ATS).
2. Make sure your education is up to date.
As a student, your education is going to be one of your key selling points, so it’s important to make this a focus. It’s a good idea to include a little bit about your educational background in your profile before giving more details later in the education and qualifications section. You should follow the traditional structure for your education section, ensuring that you include the name of the institution, the years you studied there, your majors and minors, and your degrees. But it shouldn’t stop there. It’s a good idea to include details of any outside training or projects relevant to the position. You might also include your dissertation or thesis and any exams you exceeded in.
3. Add any relevant work experience.
Alongside your studies, did you have a part-time job or internship? Perhaps you have a side hustle or project you volunteer your time to? Whatever the case, if you have relevant experience, now is the time to add this to your resume. This is particularly true if your experience relates to the job you’re applying for. But even if it isn’t entirely relevant, you can still use it to shout about the transferable skills you’ve gained in that position.
4. Optimize your resume with action verbs.
One way to give your resume an instant boost is to use action verbs to showcase your achievements. These simple but effective words can help you avoid boring cliches and stand out from the crowd while helping the recruiter paint a better picture of your abilities. An example of some of the top action verbs you might use as a student include succeeded, achieved, earned, collaborated, participated, volunteered, represented, and designed.
5. Consider additional sections outside of your studies.
As a student, it’s understandable that you don’t have the experience to shout about, but that’s okay. If you have the space near the bottom of your resume, consider including additional sections such as awards, projects, hobbies, accomplishments, and extracurricular activities. These can help further showcase your skills, particularly if they’re relevant to the role you want.
Writing a compelling resume is essential for showcasing your skills, experience, and achievements. Tailoring your summary to the job you’re applying for, focusing on key achievements, and using active language to describe your value as a candidate is crucial.
In addition, Lucres.com is an online platform that offers various services to job seekers. One of the most notable services is the ability to create a professional and free resume quickly and easily. Lucres platform provides a user-friendly interface that helps job seekers create a custom resume that highlights their skills and experience.
Once it is complete, it can be downloaded, making it easy to share with potential employers. This feature is helpful for those who are new to the job market or are looking to update their resume. With Lucres.com, job seekers can create a polished and professional resume that will help them stand out in the professional world.