How to make a job resume?
Your resume is the first impression you can make on potential employers when applying for jobs, which then becomes the determining factor about whether or not you receive an interview callback.
But with hundreds of candidates applying for the same job, it becomes difficult to make your resume stand out if it is generic and average.
Studies show that recruiters only spend about 6 seconds on a single resume and before your resume even gets a chance to be scanned by human eyes, it has to pass Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) which 75% of recruiters use to filter resumes.
So, how can you make a resume that can shine through the crowd? What should your resume preparation entail?
This is exactly what we will be covering in this blog and providing you clarity on related questions like the following:
- How to make a resume for a job?
- How to effectively showcase professional experience on a resume?
- How to make a resume with no experience?
How To Make a Good Resume?
Minor details that most candidates overlook can in fact make all the difference in the resume preparation process.
From the format to the layout and the contents, each element of the resume needs to come together in harmony to make a good resume.
Given below are some resume tips that will help you breakdown and streamline the process of drafting a resume for any job profile irrespective of your experience level:
Compile Your Information
Before you begin writing your resume, consider making a parent file wherein you can compile every single detail about your career trajectory.
We are talking education qualifications, volunteer experiences, projects, certifications, training, skills, extracurricular activities (if you are a recent graduate), and awards or recognitions (including scholarships).
When you have all this information in one place, it becomes easier for you to pick and choose which details you need to include in your resume based on the job description. This also ensures that you don’t miss out on details.
You can use this parent file as a repository reference while tailoring your resume for different job roles.
Choose the Right Format
There are three types of resume formats that are commonly used by job seekers - reverse chronological, functional, and combination resume format.
The reverse chronological format places your most recent experience of qualification at the beginning followed by the older ones. This format is ideally suited for professionals with relevant work experience and freshers as well.
The functional resume format emphasizes your skills over experience and is suited for candidates who lack work experience and have employment gaps or career changes.
And lastly, the combination format is a fusion of both reverse chronological and functional formats wherein both the skills and experiences of the candidate are given equal emphasis. You can opt for this format if you are a seasoned professional.
Depending on your need and situation, choose the ideal resume format or combine elements from each of the formats.
Also Read: What are the different resume formats and how to use them in 2023?
Showcase Your Experiences in an Impactful Manner
Nobody likes to read lengthy and vague paragraphs, especially not in a resume because as stated earlier, recruiters receive hundreds of resumes for a single vacancy and they don’t spend more than a few seconds going through a resume.
Therefore, the need of describing your professional/internship/volunteer experiences (whichever applies to you) in the form of bullet points that are written in a crisp and concise manner.
You can use the cause-and-effect relationship to explain your duties and the results you achieved with your effort.
For instance, if you strategized campaign ideas for clients and generated an increase in revenue, you can write:
“Devised custom branding campaign strategies for 5+ clients and generated a 40% increase in revenue.”
This approach works well because you can not only describe your duties but also highlight how you contributed to the company. Plus, the use of action verbs at the beginning of the sentence along with quantified achievements makes it all the more impactful and vivid.
Here is a sample of a well-written professional experience section for the role of a data engineer:
Write a Strong Summary or an Objective Statement
Although the summary or objective section is generally placed at the top part of resumes, consider writing it only after drafting the other sections of your resume. This will give you more clarity on what you need to summarize.
Your summary should highlight the years of experience you have, any certifications you hold, and the most notable accomplishments of your career trajectory. But the key is to ensure that the information you’re highlighting is relevant to the position you’re applying for.
The summary should not be more than 2-3 lines and if you are a fresher, writing an objective will make more sense than a summary.
While writing the objective section, keep in mind that the idea is to express your enthusiasm for working for the company and your interest in the role.
You must highlight how you can contribute to the company through your skills and knowledge rather than writing about your personal objectives or goals.
Also Read: How to create a stellar resume objective section?
Don’t Forget to Make Your Resume Look Nice & Professional
Even if you slog away to make the contents of your resume impeccable, if your resume looks cluttered and unprofessional, recruiters might not consider reading it at all.
To give your resume a clean look and enhance its readability, create distinct sections and leave ample white space between them.
Avoid using fonts with special characters and stick to simple fonts like Calibri, Ariel, etc. Also, do not use templates with loud or multiple colors as it can take away from the professional look of your resume.
Also Read: What are some resume dos and don'ts you must follow in 2023?
How To Make a Resume for a First Job?
While the basics of writing a resume as a fresher ideally remain the same as that of a seasoned professional, here are some additional tips for resume writing for beginners:
- Emphasize your educational background and include details of course modules that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
- To showcase your capability and accomplishments, include details of any academic awards or scholarships you may have received.
- If you are applying for IT roles, include a personal project section in your resume listing details of GitHub or Kaggle projects that you’ve completed.
- Include volunteer experience and extracurricular activities sections in your resume to showcase relevant experiences that demonstrate your transferable skills.
- Tailor your resume to the job description of a specific listing to increase your chances of getting shortlisted.
- Proofread your resume before submitting it and ensure to save it in PDF format to keep the template intact.
Also Read: How to write a resume for first job with no experience?
Key Takeaways
- Before you begin writing your resume, consider making a parent file wherein you can compile every single detail about your career trajectory.
- Depending on your need and situation, choose the ideal resume format (reverse chronological, functional, or combination) or combine elements from each of the formats.
- Use bullet points with action verbs and quantified achievements to showcase your experiences.
- Your summary should highlight the years of experience you have, any relevant certifications you hold, and the most notable accomplishments of your career trajectory in not more than 2-3 lines.
- To give your resume a clean look and enhance its readability, create distinct sections and leave ample white space between them.
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