Acquiring new employment can be a lengthy process and comprises of various important stages. However, the very first of these is writing a resume. This document plays a crucial role in getting a potential employer to take notice of you. For this purpose, it is essential for a resume to be effectively written.
Writing a resume can be quite challenging and confusing if you are new to it. How can you lay down all your abilities and skills in a way that others find impressive? What is the right way to portray that you are the person most suitable for that job? To answer all that and more we have 10 resume writing tips, that are going to help immensely with the process.
Tips for Writing a Winning Resume
Choose an Attractive Template
There is a variety of different styles of resumes available online. So, it can be tough to make the right choice. It is important for a resume to make a good first impression. Hence, the design should be attractive yet simple. Do not go for loud and vibrant layouts which show a non-professional attitude.
Include Complete Contact Details
It is essential that you’re recruiter has more than one way to get in touch with you. You might miss a phone call or forget to check your e-mail. So, give them multiple ways through which they can reach out to you. Moreover, people prefer different modes of communication. Provide your full name, phone number, address, email and link to any professional website account you have.
Tailor the Resume
Tailor your resume according to the job you are applying for. It is a mistake to submit the same document to every place you are applying for. There is no set recipe for a perfect resume. Each time you go for a position, you will need a different skill set. A good resume should be a combination of two types of skills: soft skills and hard skills. Hard skills are any learnable or technical abilities you have. While soft skills refer to personal attributes or characteristics.
Choosing a Font
Select a font that is not too fancy and is easy to read. It is best to use standard fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman. Experimenting with other fonts can lead to an inappropriate and amateurish impression. Your main concern should be about the readability of the document.
Include Your Accomplishments
Instead of merely giving past job descriptions, deeply focus on your achievements as well. Being able to reach goals, solving issues, completing projects all count in the eye of an employer. Especially if you are going for a technical field, do not shy away in mentioning previous accomplishments.
Integrate Keywords
Read through the job description and make a list of the keywords you find. Then include them while writing your resume. This seemingly simple exercise will grab the attention of the employers. Once you had it, then the chances of an interview call are considerably heightened. While adding the keywords, do not just simply write them in. Work out how they fit in with your experiences and skills and integrate them accordingly.
Have an Online Presence
This might not be necessary before the boom of the internet, but in 2020 you do require an online presence. It can be through a LinkedIn profile or on any other professional website. It is best to have accounts or profiles on sites that are relevant to the job you are looking for. Most employers nowadays are bound to check authenticity by skimming through the applicant’s professional accounts. Hence, even if it’s minimal, you still need to have something to convince your potential employers you are not a scam.
Being Concise is Necessary
Avoid getting into long and rambling descriptions of your employment background. It takes a few minutes for a recruiter to see if a candidate is suitable for a position. Lengthy paragraphs are surely something they enjoy reading through. It is essential that you know what not to add to your resume as well as the necessary bits. Highlighting your strengths is extremely important. Therefore, do not let it get lost in extensive paragraphs. Some ideas of how to accomplish this can be taken from online templates.
Follow Any Employer-Given Instructions
If there are any instructions given in the job description, then carefully read and follow them. Missing out these instructions most likely means the rejection of your resume. All organizations have certain requirements for applicants to follow through. These can include:
A particular file formatting
Preferred method of submission (email, LinkedIn)
Clear personal details
A cover letter
Honesty is Key
Our final and what can be considered the most important tip on this list is, to be honest. Similar to every other relationship in life, do not start a professional one on fake foundations. You can surely put forward your skills and strengths in the finest way possible in your resume. However, tailoring a resume to fit the role and making things up is completely different. Even if you get an interview through a resume like that, it will get awkward when your given information is cross-checked. So be confident in who you are and that will be respected by the recruiters.
Our tips are sure to help you write a resume that gets you an interview in no time. If your schedule is too tight, you can always contact our expert cv writer to do the job for you.