To create a professional resume that will get noticed by employers, you can follow a few simple steps and best practices.
1. Writing Important Details At The Top
While it’s not recommended writing your full address for privacy reasons, you should include your Full Name, Phone Number and Email so recruiters can contact you. Be sure to include your professional profile link like LinkedIn in your resume.
2. Include Resume Summary
Right below your contact information describe your top accomplishments and skills that qualify you for this role specifically and explain how these experiences mean you can help the company meet its goals. All of this information should be 2-3 sentences maximum and written in bullet points. Always try to use a simple resume format.
3. Avoid Including Hobbies or References
Resume space is precious, when it comes to hobbies and references these are the things that employers will ask about if they want them. If you decide to include extra sections like Awards, Achievements or Publications make sure that you are doing so because it’s highly relevant to the role. Can take reference of resume templates using online resume makers.
4. Writing Skills Section At The Right Place
Your skills section is a great opportunity to align yourself with the needs of the job. It’s recommended that you limit your skills to 5 so that you maintain focus but don’t assume that your skills should be the same for every job application. Even jobs in the same industry or with the same title may require unique skills so refer based on the job description and highlight any overlap with skills you have. List them with the resume with the exact same language. Generally the skills section should go at the bottom of the resume unless you are applying for a position that requires many technical hard skills to do the job.
5. Avoid Inconsistent or Busy Design
While people tend to catch spelling or grammar mistakes they can often let format inconsistencies slip through the cracks. Are you using fullstops after the bullet points or not? Are you indenting all your bullets the same? Are your margins equal? Are you bolding certain text? There is no RIGHT or WRONG here but stick to whatever you choose. Finally, don’t include graphics, photos, colored fonts or more than 2 font styles. Keep a simple resume format for a fresher role.
6. Describing Work Experience With Impact
Many people don’t approach their work experience section as strategically as they could. For example, people often describe their work history by simply listing their job description, sharing their day-to-day duties instead of their accomplishments or failing to describe the business impact of their work by including numbers, instead aim to explain what you have accomplished for the company. Resume format of a fresher does include Internship and part-time work experience.
7. Writing Relevant Unpaid/Paid Experience
Many people feel that they can’t mention experiences that they weren’t compensated for, this especially true for students for their Internships or part-time work history. The rule here is “If it’s relevant to the job you are applying for, it’s worth mentioning”.
8. Avoid Using Same Resume For All Applications
This is the most common resume mistake and it’s one that seriously hurts your chances during the job search process. There are 2 critical reasons.
Reason 1: The ATS Scans your resume for keywords specific to the job.
If your resume isn’t specifically targeted to the job you are applying for, it may never reach the recruiter. That’s because employers use an Applicant Track System (ATS) which scans each resume for desired qualifications, experience and skills. It looks for specific words and phrases used in the Job Description, it then passes on the resumes that most closely match these qualifications for recruiters.
Reason 2: The recruiter needs you to make a clear case for yourself.
Recruiters need you to explain why your particular offering would be so valuable to this company. If you don’t take this into consideration by revising your resume summary and even how you approach your bullets, you are simply describing what you did in the past without a clear connection between how your history sets you up for success in the future role.
Conclusion
Crafting a professional resume is a critical step towards securing your desired job. By following these practical steps and adhering to best practices, you can create a resume that not only grabs the attention of potential employers but also increases your chances of landing the job you’ve been working towards. Remember, a tailored and well-organized resume can be the key to unlocking new career opportunities and setting you on the path to success. So, invest the time and effort it takes to make your resume shine, and watch your job prospects soar. Good luck!
