A resume is a summary of who you are, what your achievements are and what you bring to the table. It’s the way to get to know your qualifications, experiences, education, and skills in a way that is easy and that catches the recruiter’s eye. A good resume will make you stand out and will offer more possibilities to get hired.
It’s easy to create a resume that looks the same as everyone else’s, the secret is learning how to make it stand out and market your strengths to match the job you want. A good and impactful resume must grab the attention of the recruiters, sell your strongest skills and accomplishments, and show how and why you are the best match for a position.
Since your resume is what dictates your professional future and whether you get hired or not, it must be done right. Here are a few tips to follow to create your best resume and give a good first impression:
Create a clear and simple structure for your resume, where it catches the recruiter’s eye right from the beginning. It should be simple to read, not too full of information, with the appropriate colors, and the information you want to showcase should be divided into sections (such as personal information, academic, professional and skills).
Your resume should be created and updated depending on the job you are targeting. Key words, soft skills and even achievements can change depending on the priority they have on the job you’re trying to land. Look for keywords on the job posting and tailor your resume to stand out. Don’t add all your achievements into your resume if they don’t align with the needs of the company or the position you are applying to, only add the ones they can benefit from.
Keep it short and only add relevant information. Your resume should be no longer than one page or two pages if you have more than 10 years of experience. It should always include your personal information, academic, professional experiences, extracurricular experiences, and your soft and hard skills. How do you add value to your resume? By including academic awards, honorable mentions, scholarships, GPA and professional experiences by describing high impact activities and contributions.
When listing your past positions, don’t just list bullet points with your duties, as the recruiter will most likely already know them from your job title. Instead, use this space for naming your achievements, be specific about situations and how your skills were useful in that moment. It’s even better if you can quantify your results. What does this mean? Adding data, numbers, percentages of how much you were able to help the company with your work.
Creating a resume takes lots of effort and consideration, but take the time to select your words carefully, to extract your most impactful achievements and to tailor each resume you send out to the needs they are looking for. Always remember that your resume is the first impression that the recruiter and the company will get from you. Make it powerful so that your first impression leaves a mark.
