First impressions are important, and usually your first impression is made by your resume.. In order to get short listed for the job you want, you need a great resume. One, that stands out from the crowd and says “pick me” to your potential employer. Here are some general guidelines for creating an effective resume.
Pay attention to what details you share
Every individual has a number of soft skills and qualifications which may come in very useful in one particular job, but may actually detract from functioning in another one. One of the most difficult decisions to make is what to include in the resume and what to leave out. Certain sections are absolutely compulsory no matter what the job is. These include your contact information, your educational background and your work experience. Everything else is optional.
Figure out what listing order works better – Chronological or Functional
Don’t add too many details and mention only those facts that further support your case. Since education and work experience have multiple entries you have a choice of listing them in two different manners. One is chronological order, starting with the latest item first. The other is functional order, highlighting the items that best highlight your suitability for the job. The second option would make sense if you want prospective employers to know exactly why they should hire you in one glance.
Have a well-defined objective
Consider carefully your objective in seeking the position in question. Think not only about what’s in it for you, but also what value you can bring to the employer. Your personal statement can go a long way in convincing a potential employer that you are right for the job. For this reason having a glib, smooth sounding, well rehearsed objective may not be quite as effective as something that seems to come straight from the heart. You can elaborate your objective on the cover letter if you don’t want it to seem too wordy on the resume.
Proofread for mistakes
A single spelling mistake or grammatically incorrect sentence in your resume can be a real deal breaker. The natural assumption of the employer will be that you are careless and do not revise your work. If your resume can have mistakes, the odds of your getting work related communication correct are lower. No employer wishes to hire someone who is not quality conscious. So make sure that you proofread your resume thoroughly before you send it in.
Once you have the resume ready, it would help to take a print out and read it through. You often spot mistakes that you missed in the digital version. After your resume has been perfected, you are ready to send it in.
Getting the details of your resume right
Here are some important things to keep in mind when writing your resume:
Don't Be Too Wordy
- Ideally, keep your resume to two or three pages
- Use bullet points where possible rather than large blocks of text
- Related working experience
- Transferable skills
- Contributions
- Achievements
- Successes
And keep it honest. If you exaggerate on your resume, it will be difficult for a client to judge if you are the right person for the role. Moreover, if you were ever found to have misrepresented yourself, you would lose all credibility and possibly even lose your job. What you should include is factual information about your background and past jobs and experiences. There is no need at this point to go into detail regarding your character (e.g., your ability to work well within a group and under pressure, etc.). Rather, leave this assessment of your character for the interview.
Keep It Simple
- Keep things clear and simple
- Don't use colored paper or fancy stationery
- Keep it clean (e.g. no coffee stains or spilt hot cocoa!)
- Personal details (e.g. name, date of birth, contact details)
- Nationality
- Work permit status (if you are a foreigner)
- Language abilities
- Work experience (most ecent job listed first)
- Job description and achievements per job
- Academic background and qualifications
- Interests / hobbies (ideally something that promotes a positive image and demonstrates a healthy lifestyle). Remember, irrelevant or bizarre hobbies are best left out of your resume