Submitting your resume is the most nerve-wracking thing ever. The hours one takes to perfect his resume, yet, in the long run, very few resumes cut the deal. Why it is that students cannot seem to hit the mark, and what details do they seem to miss? This article will give you ten simple steps that will perfect that resume for you.
1: Keep it short
Contents
- 1 1: Keep it short
- 2 2: Avoid personal details:
- 3 3: Put your name and contact info on top:
- 4 4: A clear career profile:
- 5 6: Add a project list:
- 6 7: Note additional achievements:
- 7 8: Avoid grammatical errors:
- 8 9: Be honest:
- 9 10: Don’t add references:
- 10 Download international format of CV writing | Research CVs | CV templates
A typical recruiter takes an average of six seconds to go through your resume. It is impossible to read each and every detail of your resume, hence its best to keep your resume short and clear. A typical resume for college graduates should be one page long, owing to the amount of experience he/she has. However, an applicant with above ten years’ experience may extend the resume to two pages. Exceeding that length is a waste of time for the recruiter, and your first impression goes down the drain.
2: Avoid personal details:
No one wants to read which family you belong to or what firm your father worked in. Avoid adding un-necessary and personal details. Add only the basic places you have worked, your internships (if any), the previous experience you have and where you received your education. It’s not too bad to boast of your achievements but mind they be related to the work criteria. Do not for example, list your hobbies.
3: Put your name and contact info on top:
Most applicants tend to write this essential information at the bottom or the side, but it is better to write this at the very top. Put your full name in bold letters. Include your full address. If you add an email address, try to make it sound professional. Cutesy addresses like ‘[email protected]’ isn’t exactly the best thing to mention in your resume.
4: A clear career profile:
Try to add what you might call an “objective” at the top of your resume. This should be the basic career summary and the work you are focusing on and what you may offer to the company. The basic idea is to catch the interest of the manager or recruiter. The best way would be to study the company’s website, look for repeated words and phrases, the company’s basic approach. Try to fit this into your approach. Make it seem like you are what they are looking for.
5: Proper Format:
Instead of using the same boring templates from Microsoft Word, try to create your own template. Try to avoid fancy fonts and flashy colors, keep it simple. A bit of creativity won’t hurt, but cluttering your resume might make it hard for the recruiter to understand your resume. Instead, add headings such as “work experience” and “education”, bolden them to make them pop out. Leave the proper amount of space between paragraphs. Add bulleting points to improve readability. The potential employer can quickly read your accomplishments and catch the highlights easily.
6: Add a project list:
An engineering student is likely to have a list of key projects up his sleeve. He/she should add these to his/her list of achievements. These projects are sometimes impossible to cram into one page to add a separate page for your projects. Also, add your project details and the outcome to give a positive view.
7: Note additional achievements:
List all your skills and areas of expertise. This doesn’t necessarily mean adding vague statements and adjectives such as “hard-working” or “quick-thinking”. Try to add backup statements to prove your eligibility, like “worked as a sales expertise increasing productivity by 40%”. Add solid facts to prove your eligibility.
8: Avoid grammatical errors:
Remember, this is the first impression you make on your potential employee so try not to make any grammatical errors. Proof-read your resume at least three times. Don’t make any spelling mistakes, make it seem as professional as possible.
9: Be honest:
Your resume should be simple and to the point. There is no need to cover up less experience by lying, it is better, to be honest, and to present your qualifications in the most positive way.
10: Don’t add references:
If your employer asks for your references later on ahead of time, in the case that he might be calling you, then you are to send your reference. Other than that, there is no point in adding your references. Candidates often make the mistake of adding extra information. Avoid extras, such as writing samples, letters of recommendation, transcripts etc.