Wondering how to write a resume?
As a matter of fact, writing your resume is the first important step to get your dream job.
But writing a great resume is both an art as well as science.
After all, writing a resume can be a daunting task when one takes a look at all kind of information that must be used in a professional resume.
It’s your professionally written resume that would be your first impression for potential employers. Your resume will showcase your educational background, employment history, skill-sets, and qualifications.
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Question is what matters in Resume? How to get it attractive?
what really matters is the way all this information is presented in your resume.
Whatever we say, at the end of the day, a resume’s main aim is to get you shortlisted for the job interview.
Hence, it’s important to understand how to present all this information at the right place and customize it specifically to the positions for which you're applying.
But it’s easier said than done.
Getting a job interview is not less than a race as hundreds of other candidates have also applied for your dream job.
There is only one way to beat them and get yourself shortlisted interview for that job.
That is – learn to create a professional resume.
For this, you need to follow a step-by-step resume building process.
By following a step-by-step resume writing process, you will find it much easier as that will break down each complex task in simple steps.
Key Steps for How To Create Resume
Here, we outline key steps on how to create a resume that will be professionally formatted and prove as an interview-winning resume.
First Gather the Resume Content
Start putting together all information that must go into your resume.
Look for the following aspects:
Contact Information
Professional Resume Summary
Professional Title
Work Experience
Skills
Education
Hobbies and interests
This information must also include, your past employment history with their addresses, web URLs, dates of employment, job profiles and other information.
You can also use online resume builder that can help you fill in these sections with just one click.
Using an advanced resume builder will also help you in choosing the right resume format, relevant content and would follow all industry best practices.
Moreover, it will ensure that you don’t need to re-invent the wheel – create your own resume layout or resume format.
So, it’s highly recommended that you go ahead with a professional resume maker and cover letter builder which can be customized as per your own unique resume needs.
Once you have collected all of the information, then ensure that you proofread it to avoid any grammatical error.
For professional help, you can use free resume builder.
One of the most important aspect of a perfect resume is choosing the right resume template.
Right template can present your skills, achievements and job profile in the best possible manner.
In other words, right resume template can determine whether you will be selected for the interview session or not.
There are three types of resumes:
Chronological
Functional
Hybrid / Combination
You must choose the template based on the position you’re applying for.
Chronological:
A chronological resume format is the most commonly used resume format.
As the name suggests, this resume format lists experiences according to the order in which they took place. Being a traditional resume format, this template usually appeals to older readers and may be best suited for a conservative field.
It lists your career history in reverse chronological order and helps recruiters and prospective employers see your career growth and emphasizes a steady history of employment.
Functional:
Functional is a type of resume that elaborates on your experiences according to skill. If you lack the real/direct work experience and if you're trying to change the career track, then functional resume format works best.
Using this resume format, you focus on showcasing your skills prominently. Work experience is not highlighted that effectively.
Hybrid / Combination:
A combination or hybrid, as the name suggests, this resume template combines all components of chronological and functional resume templates. The key goal to use the hybrid resume template is to showcase handy skills as well as a progressive work history.
But ensure that while using a combination resume template, don’t forget to tailor the profile information according to the position you apply for.
The ideal resume layout also depends on the industry and profile you are applying for.
For example, if you are applying for a marketing job with a cool new start-up, you will want to use a modern resume template. Looking for a job with an investment bank? A simple resume template will be your best bet.
Format Your Resume Text in Professional Manner
Resume formatting is very vital when it comes to presenting your resume in the most professional resume.
The biggest aspect of resume formatting is text. And text consists of font type, font style, font size and font color.
So, be extremely careful when you’re choosing fonts for your resume.
We advise you to stick to the simplest one.
In other words - Simpler the Better.
Stick to basic fonts like Calibri, Times New Roman, Arial or Verdana.
These fonts will help your resume to be read easily by hiring managers.
Don’t use to many fonts.
Be consistent.
"A reader may not arrive at the content if your font if too distracting," Samantha Howie, senior human resources recruiter at the New York-based Maximum Management Corp., told the Huffington Post. "The key is that we can read it with ease."
Stick to same font throughout your resume and cover letter.
However, you can play with the font size and type for specific sections.
You can use a larger font for your name and section headings.
Feel free to make the font bold and italics to highlight the details of your education and employment history.
Besides, use key points of your resume text in the form of bullets.
Bulleted text is easier to read for the HR managers.
Get Your Contact Information & Personal Details Right
A true professional understands the value of information.
And a value of right information makes it priceless.
Likewise, your resume must have your contact information that is correct.
After all, even if you get your resume perfectly, still HR managers must be able to reach you via your contact details.
And outdated email address or non-functional phone numbers will ensure that all your efforts to get that dream job are wasted.
So, make sure that on a resume contact information section, you must include right contact information.
To start with, mention your name, phone number, email address, and the present-day address.
You can also add your social media profile links. Choose them carefully based on the job profile and the industry. Adding your LinkedIn profile is must.
Avoid using an unprofessional email address, like kingofrock@gmail.com.
Hence, it’s strongly recommended to go for a distinct professional email ID.
Don’t forget that you can’t make your resume too long so be highly choosy about what to retain and what to remove from your resume.
A keyword rich resume is your door to getting shortlisted for the interviews.
Therefore, stick with the main keywords that your HR manager might be looking for while searching for right resumes.
Remove the irrelevant keywords without blink.
Take out any past job experience that doesn’t do justice to the job you are applying for.
Get rid of any sign that shouts ‘IRRELEVANT’ in your resume.
If you’re student or fresher, then focus on your education section properly.
Talk about different college projects, researches, crash courses or any internships you went through.
However, if you’re a professional with 15+ years’ work experience, then do the opposite.
Keep your education section brief as your work experience will demand more attention from the HR managers.
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Give Your Resume a Professional Structure
A structure makes your resume easier to scan and understand faster.
The goal is to put entire resume content in such sequence that HR managers can easily find out what they are looking for in terms of their importance.
The standard resume structure follows this pattern:
Contact details
Opening statement
List of key skills
List of technical/software skills
Personal attributes/career overview
Educational qualifications
Employment history/volunteering/work placements
References/referees
However, common sense says that one must stay flexible to use this structure to one’s advantage.
So, based on the industry or the specific job application, feel free to change the order of your resume.
The key thing one must know – get the best out of your resume content.
Know What NOT to Put on Your Resume
It’s important to know what to put in your resume.
However, it’s more important to know what not to put in your resume.
Many people fail to recognize this.
So, what is there to exclude from your resume?
It’s simple – ‘Private information’ is strictly no-no.
Any private information that doesn’t help recruiters determine about your professional ability must be excluded.
Your resume doesn't have to include:
Your birthdate
Your gender
Your past addresses
Any ailments or disabilities
Your health status
Unless an employer has specifically asked for specific information like female is preferred for certain role then it’s advised to disclose the gender.
In a nutshell, do it as the situation demands.
Proofread. Proofread. Proofread.
Yes.
Proofreading your resume is MUST.
Because, silly errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, or typography can make your professional resume look not only silly but ugly too.
As a matter of fact, a resume full of such errors can damage your professional reputation.
Don’t forget that you would never get a second chance to make a first impression.
With proper proofreading, you can ensure that your first impression is worth it.
To do this, first take a printed copy of your resume.
Don’t proofread it on computer screen.
Human mind can’t read the words on screen as properly as on a printed paper.
Use a coloured pen to mark out the errors on the paper.
Try to read out each word loudly from your resume slowly.
Yes.
Each and every word.
Loudly.
This will help in identifying the awkward phrases in your resume content.
Focus on little words such as ‘or’ ‘and’ ‘of’ ‘and’ ‘it’ etc.
Wrap Up on How To Write A resume
If you follow all these steps explained in this page, then you will end up with a perfectly polished and professional resume.
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