A bad resume is the only thing standing between you and your dream job. A document highlighting your life achievements, aspirations, skill set, and strengths must be taken seriously. Whether you are a freshman or an experienced individual, landing your dream job requires a foolproof resume that compels the recruiter in just one read.
Gone are the days when a ready-made template was enough to land you a job. Companies have now introduced digital gatekeepers to filter applications and rank them based on skill sets, credentials, and keywords.
Step Wise Guidelines to Draft Your Resume
If you are a freshman or someone making a mid-career transition, this stepwise guideline will help you craft the ideal resume and get you noticed by potential employers.
Start by Selecting a Format
The right format will help your application pass the scanning software without a glitch. A neat layout with uniform font style, size, and alignment will showcase your organizing skills to the recruiter.
If you are an experienced job seeker with no employment gaps, drafting a resume using the reverse chronological format is preferable. You can list your work experiences, starting from the oldest at the end and the newest at the beginning. Fresh graduates and career changers can opt for a functional format, where you can talk about your skills and degrees since there is no work experience. Another one is the Hybrid format which showcases both past experiences, your skill set, and your education.
Enter Your Professional Contact Information
After listing your skills and experience, head to the contact information section. Ensure to include an active contact number and a presentable email address. One of the major mistakes fresh graduates make is adding funky and odd names to their emails which may not make a good impression on the recruiter. Stick to your “original name and spellings only” while creating an email address for a job hunt. Also, include your LinkedIn URL and location to convey that you are open to communication on all platforms.
Write an Attention-Grabbing Headline and Objective Summary
Write a customized objective summary that indicates why you are a good fit for the role. You can also include a one-liner or two to introduce yourself to the recruiter. Carefully craft these words so that the employer sticks around to read the whole resume attentively.
Use Keywords to Make Your Resume Ats Friendly
The Application Tracking System first scans a resume for job-specific keywords in the Job description. Therefore it’s a good idea to read the job posting carefully and create a list of keywords used in the description. Include these keywords in your resume that make sense and relate to your past experiences, education, and skill set.
Add a Detailed Work Experience Summary
A recruiter is looking for a problem solver for their organization. Adding a brief description of your professional journey can help them understand your strengths in a better way. Use listicles to describe your past experiences. Include company name, designation, employment duration, and achievements. Connect your past experiences with your current role to convince the hiring manager how you can add value to the organization.
Use Numbers to Describe Your Achievements
Quantification can illustrate the scope of your achievements to the recruiter. Instead of writing, “worked on distributing and replacing power distribution units.” Add a number to increase the effectiveness of your statement, like “Designed the distribution and replacement of 25 power distribution units, increasing work efficiency by 35%.” Numbers will convey your value to the recruiter in a better sense, and they will choose you for the job.
Education and Certifications
The location of the education and certification section on your resume depends on your experience level. If you are a freshman, place it at the beginning of the document, whereas if you are an experienced Job seeker, you can add it after your professional achievements. If your job description emphasizes academia, you can put it at the beginning of your resume. You can add certifications and courses you have done in the past that aligns with your job requirements.
Pay Attention to Grammar and Spelling
A mistake on your resume could cost you your job, so proofread it before sending it. Use capitalization where needed, and avoid using passive voice in any descriptions. Use action words to describe the roles and responsibilities of previous jobs.
