Does your resume have a positive impact on a potential employer? We all want to impress recruiters with our skills and experiences in order to get that dream job. While there is no such thing as a perfect resume as each resume should be tailored to the job role and the domain you want to work in. However, some things should be kept in mind no matter which industry you are applying in. Recruiters are busy people and do not have much time to go through every resume in detail. You do not want your resume to get rejected even without the employer reading through it. Your resume is your reflection and the potential employer will solely judge you based on this pdf. So you need to make sure that you present yourself in the best possible manner. The Do’s and Don’ts below will help you build a professional resume and get that required attention to secure you an interview.
DO’s
- Be precise. Your passion and motivation for working for that company goes into your cover letter, not your Resume. Use 2-3 bullet points for giving highlights about each of your work and education experience. However, being precise does not mean that you skim through everything. Remember your resume is also an indication of how clearly you can communicate, which is an essential skill required in almost every job.
- Write an impressive short summary at the top. After your name and contact details, before you delve deeper into your education and experience write a short introduction paragraph. This can be quite tricky but think about it as a summary of your resume. It should touch briefly on your education, skills, work experience and where you want to go ahead in your career journey. Try to wrap this up in 3-5 lines. A well-written summary is your first chance at making a good impression.
- Always keep the most relevant experience at the top. In the work experience section, candidates generally list their experiences in a chronological manner starting with the most recent experience. Employers usually do not look at a resume for more than ten seconds. A quick trick to gain your employer’s attention is to keep the most relevant work experience at the top even though it may not be your most recent one. It is an indication to the potential employer that you have experience working in that particular area and hence will consider looking at the rest of the resume.
- Include a necessary skills section. No matter what education you have, having the right skills is much more important in today’s job market. This section should include your technical skills such as any coding and programming languages like R, Stata, Python etc. It should also include a soft skills section which could include teamwork, communication skills, leadership, problem-solving and alike. Note that in any role both types of skills are equally important.
- Be mindful of spelling and grammar. This may sound very trivial but always proofread your resume before sending it in. You can use apps like Grammarly for grammar checks or simply ask your friend to have a quick look. Remember even if you are a perfect candidate for the role, a simple spelling or grammar mistake can ruin your impression on the potential employer. It is an indication that the candidate is careless and does not have clear attention to detail.
DON’Ts
- Don’t exceed two pages. Yes, that is a strict rule. Recruiters do not have so much time to look at long paragraphs about your experiences. Usually, one page resumes are great, but two pages are also acceptable. Trust me, you can put all the required information on two pages.
- Don’t use colour or very fancy templates unless you are applying for a creative role. Choose a simple yet impressive frame. Use fonts that are easy to read. You can select a perfect template using our Resume Builder tool. Our resumes templates are designed to get through the Application tracking system that many employers use to sort out the best and desirable candidates. Remember your resume is a reflection of yourself.
- Don’t provide any false information. Many candidates list down some skills or experiences on their resume that they do not possess in real life. They just do it to impress potential employers and get selected. Recruiters are usually very smart people and they can see through it. They have scanned hundreds of applications and have a lot of experience. Even if you don’t get caught and you make it to the next round, you would not be able to get through it in the interview round. One question about your fake skills, and you are out. So it is always better, to be honest in your resume.
- Don’t include personal information which is not needed. Potential employers do not need to know your marital status, your religious beliefs or your age and height. Including a photo in your resume is also not essential. Be mindful to only include professional and relevant details.
- Don’t name your resume in an appropriate manner. Candidates usually just download their resume and send it without naming it correctly. Resume files should be named as TomHanks_Resume or in a similar manner. Remember to be formal with each step of the application.
While the list is not exhaustive, these are the most essential tips for any job market candidate who is eyeing to impress employers with his resume. However apply to only those jobs where you are a suitable candidate keeping in mind your education, skills and experience. Then only with the perfect resume along with an impressive cover letter can you improve your chances of securing your dream job. So from next time, before you submit your resume for a Job application, cross-check if your resume fulfils all these ten Do’s and Don’ts. Only if it does, go ahead and submit your application.
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