How to write a resume: A comprehensive step-by-step guide
In a world driven by data, a professional resume is a "must-have" whether you are applying for an internal job or if you are searching for one online. You cannot stretch your professional horizons unless you have a compelling resume in your hand. Writing a resume can be a tedious task, but with the help of this step-by-step resume writing guide, it will merely be a cakewalk for you. So let's begin-
What we’ll cover
Selecting the Data is crucial while writing a resume
The first thought that comes to mind while writing a resume is how to start a resume. The first step in writing a resume is to decide what to include and what to leave out. The most common mistake that people make when writing their resumes is to include too much information. This makes it difficult for the reader to understand what the job requirements are and which skills to highlight. However, too little information also makes it difficult for the reader to understand what you did and why you are qualified for the position.
Tips on how to start a resume:-
We highly recommend you select the information you want to add and arrange it in a sequence. This will help you understand what kind of format you need for your resume which will eventually help you fixate a proper resume structure within no time.
Choose a format before you start writing a resume
The first impression is the last impression and this is why your resume needs to be exceptionally good since it is the first impression you make on the recruiter. So, how to make a good resume? Amongst the uncountable templates given online, choose the best and the most appropriate one. Select professional fonts that are easy to read such as Arial, Georgia, Helvetica, etc. Technically, the chronological, functional, and hybrid resume formats are the three most common types of formats of a resume (sometimes called a combination resume). A hybrid resume’ structure, that lays equal emphasis on abilities and work experience, is the ideal option for most job seekers. A chronological or functional resume, on the other hand, may be more appropriate in some other circumstances.
Tips on how to make a good resume:
Your resume should be informative as well as presentable but most importantly, it should be wisely sorted. A good resume is one that can be easily comprehended.
Add your name and contact information
The chronology of a resume matters a lot. The most basic information i.e the name and the contact information should be placed on the top of the resume. Remember, the handier your contact information will be, the easier it will be for the recruiter to contact you. Things to be mentioned on the top of a resume are-
- Name
- Phone Number
- Location including city, state, and the zip code
- An mail address
- Professional LinkedIn Profile URL
Tips on how to write a resume:
- Make sure you mention your document name
- Giving a personal number rather than a work number is advisable
- Use a professional email that sounds professional too. It should be a decent email address
- If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, make sure you create one and add its URL to your resume
Add an outstanding resume headline
The headline in a resume plays an important role in hooking the recruiter at first glance and encouraging them to read till the end. It could be a one-liner summarising your experience and qualifications. It has to be brief, crisp, and really impactful. Since it is one of the first elements of a resume to get noticed, it is definitely very important to get right. There is a good opportunity here to talk about a certain job experience or skill that acts as a keyword for the applicant tracking system (ATS) to filter your resume.
Tips to write a good resume headline
- Include employment-related keywords, preferably the keywords related to the title of your job.
- Keep it short and crisp. Remember it is a headline and not a thesis. Keep the sentences around ten to fifteen words and not more than that.
- In order to make the headline stand out, we would recommend using a title case, i.e. write the first letter of each word in capitals. You could also use a larger font and make it bold.
Write an attractive summary statement
In three to five phrases, the professional overview attracts the reader's attention and reveals your career aims and interests. When learning how to write a resume, keep in mind that the portion where hiring managers spend the most time is the summary section. A professional summary is the industry standard and provides a more thorough cataloging of your accomplishments in an active style. For freshers, however, summary statements aren't the best to have on their resumes. In case you don't have much work experience or if you are constantly changing careers, you can utilize the extra space in your resume to expand your talents, or skills section or make a compelling resume objective statement.
Tips on how to make a good resume summary statement
- The focus of a professional overview should be on how you can assist the company in meeting their business needs
- A job seeker's overall professional ambitions are the emphasis of a career objective
- Use callbacks to the job posting to demonstrate your value to the employer
- Emphasize your abilities and experiences that are relevant to the position
Write your work experience in detail
Mentioning the work experience in a resume is the most important part. Recruiters carefully scan this part to check whether or not your work history qualifies you as a good candidate.
That's why it's highly significant to mention not merely the job responsibilities but also the previous work experience that you have gained in the past years of your life. This particular area is the opportunity to highlight to recruiters how you have provided value to other businesses that you have worked for.
The previous job titles and the firms you have worked for in the past are important details that a recruiter looks for in your resume. Tip: Follow a consistent style of writing across job experiences to ensure all information is easily found.
Make sure that this section of the resume is stressed as well as well presented. It should be easy to comprehend for the recruiter as you aren't the only one applying for this job.
Tips for writing a work experience in your resume
If you have more than one job to showcase, then list them in a reverse or rear-chronological order - that is from the most recent job to the oldest job.
A sub-head should be given to every job title and every sub-head should include-
- Name of the company you have worked for
- Position of the job
- Title of the job
- The time you have worked for (the beginning date and the end date)
- Work details, i.e. what all you have worked on and what business impact could you create
The title of this section should be hugely professional. Don't try to be fancy. It’s best to be simple and elegant in this particular section of the resume. Additionally, use keywords related to the job title you're applying for.
Time to flaunt your skills
Related keywords are essential terms of interest and help the recruiting manager easily skim through your resume. Your CV will be found easily if it contains specific keywords relevant to the job role or the requisite skills.
Almost all organizations use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to sort, sludge, and search for the best employees. Some operation tracking systems, similar to Taleo, can rank your resume’s content versus the job description automatically, allowing the recruiters to concentrate simply on the" worthy" applicants. The recruiting manager constantly looks for significant keywords like "client service',' “accounts delinquent" and "Adobe Photoshop" in their lot of applications received.
For writing a good resume, it's critical to include significant skills in your resume, starting with the headline, which should include the most applicable keyword, especially the job title, if possible.
Anything that's necessary or specified several times in the segment can be regarded as particularly vital.
Tips to write job skills on your resume
- Do not over-exaggerate your skills and talents.
- Write about both the soft skills as well as the hard skills too. Soft skills like public speaking and others come in handy and are always considered a plus point.
Add your educational qualifications
This is the segment where you need to mention your medals, certificates, and other honors. Remember that your resume should always punctuate the skills that are relevant to that specific position you are applying for. So anything in your background that does not promote the image of you as a suitable fit for the part should not be included.
It's standard practice to list your education, especially if you are seeking a job that requires a degree. Still, the education part of your profile can be pushed to the bottom, if the job you are applying for doesn’t lay more emphasis on it.
Unless you are applying for a profession that places a decoration on training (similar as academics, law, or medical), job aspirants may get down with simply including the following information on their resume
- Institutional Name
- The geographic location of the School of Degree
- Times of Attendance
Customize your resume
Customizing the resume as per the job you are applying for is significant. Every job requires a specific skill set and if your resume doesn’t include that, then your chances of qualifying for that particular job are way less. You must create different versions of the same resume to fit every job requirement. The recruiting teams now work smart. They use several AI tools that match the keywords of your resume to that of the job and then churn out the irrelevant applications. The recruiters then pick and drop candidates based on the result displayed by those tools.
Tips for customizing your resume
- Avoid making any grammatical, spelling, or punctuation mistakes.
- Tailor your resume wisely according to the particular job you are applying for.
Writing a resume is the most important step to getting that dream job. If you are looking to hit the right spot, get started with this free Resume Writing tool.
