What Every Professional Should Know About Writing A Perfect Resume
Your resume is one thing you should invest in when searching for a job — after all, recruiters and hiring managers know within 7 seconds whether or not they want to read more about you.
However, writing a successful resume is not as easy as it may seem. You might be putting all the right information on there, but you still might not be getting the job interviews.
With so many resume mistakes to avoid, it is easy to see why such a high percentage of resumes never even get read.
Here are some simple rules for writing a perfect resume:
1.What Kind of Resume Should You Choose?
Most people think there's just one kind of resume. In truth, there are various kinds of resume. There are many different resume formats, and the right one for you depends on your unique career circumstances. It doesn't really matter what resume format you choose, as long as it highlights your strengths and gets you hired.
Best known resume formats are:
Chronological: a straightforward list of past jobs; the most popular format in the U.S.
Passive: when your skills or achievements are highlighted; good for people with unsteady job tenure
Functional: highlighting key skills and accomplishments without detailing jobs; best for entry-level employees who are lacking a work history
Hybrid: an effective format that combines some of the major strategies of both chronological and functional formats.
2.Be sure to include all necessary information.
On typical resumes, you will find the following sections: a header, contact information, professional summary, skills section, skills related to employment, education, and additional work experience. The best advice for filling in each section is to be simple and direct, yet informative. Make sure that your contact information is easy to find (but not at the top of the resume where it could be easily missed).
Additionally, when writing your professional summary section, do not start with "I am…" as this makes it too similar to your objective statement. It is much better to use action verbs, like "Achieved…", instead. You should also keep in mind that your resume needs to clearly highlight your skills and accomplishments, so you should never omit sections even if they don't seem relevant to the job you are applying for. Keep in mind that recruiters and hiring managers are looking for the overall picture of you as a qualified job candidate, so do not just cut out things that seem odd or irrelevant for this particular position.
3.Make sure to include design & formatting.
One with a strong, relevant resume will win out in the end over one with little content. But if you pair your informative content with a clear, pleasing design and appropriate formatting, you've hit on a winning recipe. Familiarize yourself with the appropriate formatting styles for where you live and where you intend to work. Your resume needs to be formatted in a way that will draw the attention of the hiring manager. Make sure that your font is easy on the eyes but still attractive. Keep it readable and avoid fonts that are hard to distinguish between letters. A font size between 10-12 should suffice, but avoid using one that is either too big or too small (or both).
How you organize your content on the page is also important. You should make sure that your resume isn't too long to be read easily – one to two pages is still a good length.
Use bullet points and sub-headings to break up your content and make it easy to skim, but avoid overdoing it with either of these strategies.The space between lines on your resume must also be big enough to prevent your resume from looking crammed together.
4.Here are some last-minute items to keep an eye out for
When you've reached the point where you're completely satisfied with your resume, don't click submit. Also, make sure that the email address you provide for your contact information is current and correct. Any potential employers who may need to contact you will use this email, and you don't want them to have to search high and low for an outdated or non-existent address. You should also consider creating a LinkedIn account (which is similar to Facebook for professionals), as well as a professional online profile that will act as the foundation of your career.
It is important that you keep your resumes updated, particularly if you are in the technology, communication, or design industries. The world of work is changing rapidly, and what was innovative yesterday may be obsolete tomorrow. With a professional online profile, you can update your information on the fly- no printing or mailing required. By doing this, you could increase your career opportunities and find a great job with less time spent on seeking jobs.
There are many online resume examples available for free, which will help you to create a perfect resume. It is worth taking a look at these examples as they will guide you through the whole process of writing a resume and give you inspiration for your own resume. Professional resume writer can also help you.
By following certain steps when writing your resume, you will be able to create an effective one in no time. More information will help your resume stand out. If you need any resume help let us know.