Writing a Resume - All You Need to Know

Your resume is the first impression you make on potential employers. It can be the deciding factor between securing a job and not even being called for an interview. If you are new to the American job market, please note that recruiters spend no more than 8 seconds scanning a resume. However, those 8 seconds are what decides your fate. Here are some things that are of cardinal importance when writing a killer resume that can help you get to the interview or beyond.

Tips for Writing a Resume that Stands Out

Choose a Format for Your Resume

The most important and perhaps the most underrated thing about writing a resume is the format you choose for it. Broadly speaking, there are three distinct resume formats that you can choose from. These are the formats:
Chronological
This is the most primitive resume format. All your academic achievements and job experiences are listed in chronological or reverse-chronological order in such resumes. This is a familiar format and is the most suited for people who have a lot of related experience but no distinctive qualifications/academic achievements.
Functional
This type of resume is well-suited for people who do not have related experience but have other job experience or distinctive educational/academic/co-circular achievements. If you think that you have an academic background and a skill set that can easily overshadow the lack of experience, stick with this format.
Hybrid
As the name implies, these resumes are the combination of both. If you excel in both academics and experience, this resume format will be the best for you.

Provide Contact Information

The next thing you need to tell the recruiters is how to contact you. Here are some tips for providing contact information when writing a resume:
Write your full name as it appears in your documents; do not use a nickname or any informal titles.
Write your mailing address in the simplest possible way and include a Zip code/PO Box number if you have one.
Use a professional-looking email address. It is best to use an email address from your school or previous employer instead of the generic ones from Google, Yahoo, or Hotmail.
Provide a phone number that you have on your person all the time.
Don’t forget to provide a link to your LinkedIn profile and be sure that you have a strong and well-made LinkedIn profile containing all the information about you. Keep this section as short and to-the-point as possible.

Introduce Yourself the Right way

Now you start selling yourself and the first thing to tell the recruiters is who you are:
Try to keep this a one-liner.
Do not use flashy adjectives.
Do not claim to be someone or something you are not.
Write an introduction that is in line with your skills, education, and experience.

Write a Compelling Description

Consider this your sales pitch. This is the part of your resume where you stand out among the hundreds of people applying for the job. Here are some tips that can come in handy while writing the description.
Write the description specifically for each job. Do not use a generic description and use it for every place you apply for a job. Use keywords from the job advertisement to make the description in line with the job.
Write your past accomplishments but remember, do not be too proud or too humble.
Keep the description brief and to the point.
Do proofread the cover letter twice; any mistake here can be disastrous.

List All Jobs/Internships You’ve Done

Remember, your resume is your sales pitch and you want to tell the buyer every good thing about you in order for them to buy it. No academic qualification, achievement, or job experience is irrelevant. You need to list them all. Here are some tips that you can use for this:
Be sure you write them all in a pattern, chronological or most relevant but stick to the same sequence throughout the list.
Highlight the items in the list that are distinctive, like any academic or professional award that you might have earned.
Do not list any of the things that you cannot produce a certificate/proof for. It will only decrease your credibility.
If you have completed any educational achievement from a notable institution be sure to name the place, otherwise, just write the qualification.

Declare your Skills

Last but by no means the least, you need to tell the potential employers what your skill set is, and what they’ll be getting if they hire you. While listing your skills keep the following in the mind:
Being able to use Microsoft Office products is not a skill, you must know them if you are applying for any job.
Language proficiency can be a good point in your skill set. Tell about different languages you know and how fluent you are in them.
If you know any software or other solution related to the job you are applying for, do list it.
Be sure to list all the skills you have certifications for.
Do not claim to be an expert in something you are not. It will negatively impact the chances of you getting the job or being successful on it even if you succeed to secure it.

Final Thoughts

Your resume is just like a sales pitch. Consider the introduction to be your tag line, the description of your performance summary, and the other things about your specifications. Present yourself in a way that makes you stand out from the crowd. Remember, everyone applying for the job has pretty much the same qualifications, skills, and previous work experience. The key is to getting the employer to see the value that only you can bring to the company. Sometimes that’s easier said, than done. So, if you find yourself struggling to “get your foot in the door”, consider a personalized resume from one of our experienced resume writers.