Step by Step Guide for an Ideal Resume

If you’re reading this article, then the time for you to write a resume has finally arrived. I know- It’s a daunting task. It takes time but the worst part is when you think you have a great resume, but you’re still not getting any interviews.  But don’t worry- you are not alone.

Wouldn't it be great if you could figure out the best way to make a resume and every time you apply for a job with that resume, you get a call for an interview?

I’m sure, you’ll be thinking” Is it possible?”.

Yes, it is possible. So, follow the process strictly which I’ll share with you below. And, the Best part of it is, this is a quick process and proven to land you interviews.

These things you’ll find in the guide:

·         How to write an ideal resume for a job.

·         Quick and proven tips that will land you 10x MORE INTERVIEWS.

·         Questions related to how to write an ideal resume for a job will be answered.

·         How to write a resume online? How can you track it? And how you can send it to recruiters to get more interviews.

Here’s an example of good resume versus a great resume. What is the difference in both the resumes? Is it the presentation?

Not precisely. The resume on the right side is optimized to follow the tips that I am about to share with you.

So, here is the list of things you need to do to make an ideal resume for a job:

1.       A resume or a cv? Decide

2.       Choose the Right resume format to get more interviews

3.       List your contact information so they can contact you

4.       Do what the best candidates do at the start of their resume

5.       Write an appealing resume experience section for you to get more job offers

6.       To add more value than others, put emphasis on the Education Section

7.       Increase Your Interview Chances by focusing on the Skills Section

8.       Add Additional Resume Sections

9.       Show them You’re a Great Fit by including Hobbies & Interests Section

10.   Tailor your resume according to the job description before you apply

11.   Include Achievements for the win- Here’s how

12.   Use Action words instead of Boring words

13.   Choose a soothing font for your Resume

1.    A resume or a cv? Decide

Hello, Reader. Now What?

What is a resume?

A resume is a single page document that showcases your work experience, your education, and your skills so that you can apply for a job.

What is the difference between a CV and a resume?

Curriculum Vitae also was known as CV (a Latin phrase) meaning “a course of life” and is more than a single page document that showcases your work experience, your education, and your skills much more than a resume. CV is longer than a resume. It contains your accomplishments and your experience in much greater detail.

Now, you know what you need. A CV or a resume, it’s time to choose the right format for it.

CV vs Resume

2.    Choose the right resume format to stand out

There are three types of resume formats:

·         Chronological (or Reverse-Chronological)

·         Combination (or Hybrid)

·         Functional (or Skills-Based)

Most of the times, people use reverse-chronological format.

Here’s a sample resume written in the reverse-chronological format:

Reverse-Chronological Format

Resume Format	Reverse-Chronological	Combination	Functional
Pros	·         Traditional ·         Familiar to Recruiters	·         Experienced professionals can highlight skills. ·         Career changers can emphasize transferable skills.	·         Entry-level job seekers can emphasize skills instead of experience.
Cons	·         Common ·         Not Creative	·         Uncommon and not as familiar to recruiters. ·         Not suggested for entry-level job seekers.	·         Recruiters may think you're hiding something.

3.    List your contact information so they won’t pass by

Despite the what resume format you choose, your contact information has to go at the top.

Here is the format to write a contact section in a professional resume:

Including your address in the contact section is optional in the modern resume. It might be better if it’s excluded from the contact section if the job you’re applying for isn’t local.

The email address you provide in the contact section must be professional

·         Choose a sophisticated email provider.

·         Don’t use current work email. Instead, create a new professional, private email address.

·         Avoid using the email address when you were in high school. It won’t amuse the recruiters, seeing an email address like johnisgod@hotmail.com or princessneha@gmail.com. Maybe, it can amuse the recruiters but they won’t be calling you for an interview.

Pro Tip: Make sure you review your social media accounts before providing it to the contact section and check for unprofessional content.

4.    Do what the best candidates do at the start of their resume

The same question comes” What does a resume look like?” Now you know contact information comes first. Then what comes next? Experience? Education?

Does it matter what you put after contact information when you’re writing your resume?

Well, Yes, it does matter. Because your best stuff has to come at the top-third of your resume.

And the best way to do it by starting it with an introduction of yourself.

Imagine:

The top of your resume is like a penthouse and the most important part of the real estate on the document.  But Why?

Because the average recruiter spends around six seconds on scanning your resume. Those six seconds are like do or die for your resume. Those six seconds are like the reading Facebook messages from an irritating friend and deciding what to do.

Looking at the very specific information, only going to look for it in the top-third of your resume. If you can’t grab its attention- then it’s game over.

Resume summary statement. What?

Resume summary statement is a short introduction that highlights your education, your career progress, and your skill set. It also shows the recruiter why you’re a valuable hire for the company.

What’s a resume objective statement?

Resume objective is same as the resume summary.

5.    Write an appealing resume experience section for you to get more job offers

So, the first section that should appear will best show off your skills and accomplishments in the body of an ideal resume.

For most people, it’s the experience section.

A question arises in every persons’ mind how to write a resume employment history?

Before writing a resume experience section, keep a few things in mind:

·         The job history should be written in reverse-chronological order- start with the current position.

·         Describe the scope of your responsibilities in or around six bullet points.

·         To reflect your skills, tailor every bullet point according to the job description.

·         For the bullet point format (See below), and insert facts and figures.

·         Try to include achievements that showcase your professional impact.

·         Try to include a career story that reinforces your professional persona.

Resume Experience Section Sample:

Now, if there are any gaps in your job history or a habit of hopping from one job to another. What will you do?

Let’s accept it. We all don’t have a pristine job history.And we don’t know how to create a resume that addresses these gaps in the jobhistory without cheating.

One of the ways to avoid this is by giving a brief explanation next to every job.

Briefly state the reason for why you have a career gap in your job history or why you were changing job so frequently. And reassure the recruiter that you’re not a risky candidate.

Those who have a habit of changing their job frequently may tamper with dates to avoid the conversation, by leaving only years in their resume experience section:

When this part of your resume comes into the limelight, the recruiter may think you worked for a year instead of three months. But it’s a well-known dirty trick which might have been seen by many recruiters, this will stamp a big no to your resume.

Pro tip: If you have any “non-traditional” work experience like volunteer jobs or freelance work, feel free to list inside your resume experience section.

6.    To add more value than others, put emphasis on the Education Section

The education section of your resume should always be written in reverse-chronological order, which will show the most recent degree appearing first.

Here are some points you should include in your education section:

·         The type of your degree pursued,

·         Your major,

·         The name of your university,

·         Date of Graduation,

·         GPA or percentage, and

·         Any honors, or awards you received

7.    Increase your interview chances by focusing on the skill section

The moment you reach this point, keep one thing in mind, skills have everything to do with your selection. To make an ideal resume, you have to sprinkle your skills throughout the resume.

Having a big section labeled as “SKILLS”, does make sense when you sprinkle your skills throughout the resume.

Use the key points mentioned in the job description, use it to create a modern resume that will pass through the Applicant Tracking System(ATS) software. We’ll talk about it later.

In the skill section, these two things should be highlighted:

1.       The skill set, they want for the job is within you.

2.       Show them some extra skills to prove that you’re a valuable candidate.

8.    Add Additional Resume Sections

Include some additional resume sections in your resume only if you don’t feel that the traditional resume works for you.

·         Graduates: Try adding a separate section for awards or honors, or a section for extracurricular activities.

·         If you have a technical background: You might want to consider adding an extra section for certificates, licenses, or software.

·         For Professionals: You might consider adding a section for publications or conferences.

·         Others: Add a section that shows your command of languages or other achievements and projects, you have.

If you have decided to add an additional resume section, keep in mind that you don't overwhelm your resume with additions. Try to keep everything on one page, if possible.

9.    Show them You’re a Great Fit by including Hobbies & Interests Section

This part of the section of an ideal resume is optional. But, I will recommend you to add one if you have some space left.

If you add this section to your resume, it makes your resume stand out from the crowd. And it shows off some extra skills of yours in front of the hiring manager and creates a fuller image of you.

Your interests are like enhancers which makes you a more attractive and memorable candidate to your potential employer.

If this section needs an additional space, then you can remove it later.

10. Tailor your resume according to the job description before you apply

You may be don't know this that there is a Skynet which runs a scan over your resume before it reaches the hands of a human.

A corporate job offer attracts up to 250 resumes. Out of this 250 candidate, 4 to 6 candidates will get an invitation for an interview. From these 4 to 6 candidates, only one will get the job offer.

Recruiters use software to sift through all these resumes. The software used by the recruiters is called as the Applicant Tracking System(ATS) software.

The ATS software uses keywords mentioned in the job description and compares it with your resume. Don’t know how to write an ideal resume that will the ATS software? To make through ATS software, you need to tailor your resume according to the keywords mentioned in the job description.

Tailoring your resume according to the job description is basically adding keywords and information from the job offer.

When you start writing a tailored version of your resume, pick and choose relevant material to match the specific role for which you’re applying. Add keywords that are mentioned in the job offer to pass the ATS software.

11. Include Achievements for the win- Here’s how

Using numbers to quantify your achievements, provides recruiter a tangible proof.

Now, recruiter sees a quantifiable and specific proof of your achievements.

One best part of it, it draws the eye of the recruiter and improves readability of your resume.

12. Use Action words instead of Boring words

Count the number of times you have used the phrase” responsible for” in your experience section? Is it more than once?

You should try mixing up your vocabulary. Stop overusing words and phrases like “responsible for” or “Innovated” is boring. 

Now, use some action words to spice up your resume to make it stand out.

Make sure you use present tense while describing your current role.

Here’s a sample:

Pro Tip: Don’t overdo anything. You don’t want to portray yourself as “GRAMMAR NAZI” in front of the recruiter.

13.  Choose a soothing font for your Resume

Readability is the most important part of a resume. If yourresume is not readable then the recruiter will not waste a single second onyour resume. 

Using a good, soothing font will ensure your resume is readable.

Use these fonts to make your resume readable and increase your chances of getting an interview- Arial, Helvetica, Calibri, and Verdana. 

Pro Tip: Don’t sacrifice your margin, white spaces or font size in an attempt to cram everything on one page.

Source: Web Development Company in India | Escale Solutions