Resumes are the stepping stone of your success. It is the first piece of information that you share with prospective employers. For whatever position you are a seeking job, a well-crafted professional resume is a must.

It is a document, which summarizes your education, skills and experience. When you are looking for a job this is the most important document. Traditionally the resumes are printed on paper, but in today’s digital world you can even have an audio-video resume. 

Let’s dig deeper into the science of resume making. There are various aspects to it.

1. The Resume Type

The resume type you choose should depend on the type of job you are applying. There are four resume formats.

• Chronological Resume – The most common resume format starts with career summary then work experience in chronological order with the joining and leaving dates, followed by skills and education. The candidates with abundant work experience can use this chronological format as it stresses more on work experience.
• Functional Resume – This format also begins with the summary statement. It is followed by professional skills. Then your work experience and last your education. This resume doesn’t give much importance to work history and dates and is best for the job seekers having gaps in their work history.
• Combination Resume – As the name suggests it is the combination of both chronological and functional format. In this, you can highlight your skills and also your work history. Start with your career summary followed by your skills and then work history in reverse chronological order with all the dates. This is best for those who have less experience as it emphasises more on skills.
• Creative Resume – This is the one that is outside the resume description. It may be designed as info-graphics, software programs, or video resumes. The creative formats are great for people looking for jobs in more creative fields. They are undoubtedly more memorable and can help you stand out from the crowd.

 

2. Designing and Writing the Resume

Now, once you have decided on the format you are ready to design your resume. As said it is your first impression and it should be good, else you are out of the race. Various templates are available for free which you can use.

Putting all the components in words can be difficult for some. But these guidelines will help you.

• Never speak of yourself in the third person.
• Don't use statements starting with "I" and "Me". Start by using phrases with some action verbs.
• No copping of the job description in the resume.
• Be specific while mentioning about your achievements. Whenever possible use numbers.
• Check for grammar and spellings. You just can’t afford such errors.

 

3. The Content

You should ideally have this in your resume.

• Heading – This part is dedicated to who you are. It consists of your name (full name), and contact details including your postal address, active phone numbers and email address. This information should be instantly visible.

• Career Objective – The ones who are looking for their first job career objective is essential. For the experienced candidates, this is optional. This overall sets the tone of your resume. The career objective or the career goal should be in sync with the job you are applying for.

• Career Summary or Resume Summary – Career summary is the section for the experienced candidates. This is your introductory section and should throw light on all your achievements, experience and skills. 

• Experience – This section describes the work experience you have earlier. Here you should list all the jobs you have done till date in chronological order. State the name, location, job position you had, job profile and the joining and leaving dates.

For the fresh graduates, you should mention the pre-professional experience. Highlight your internship, on-job training and voluntary work if any.

• Technical Expertise – It is a well-known fact that the hiring managers are more interested in your technical expertise than the educational background as the technical skills determine your eligibility for the job. This section should include all your professional certificates relevant to the job position.

• Education – In this section, you should write about your degrees. Mention here about the majors and minors and the name of your graduation institute.   

• Related Courses – Special important section for undergraduates where you can mention about any courses that are related to the job you are applying. This is of great significance if your educational background is different from the job.

• Hobbies, Training and Seminars – This is an optional section. Here you can mention about any workshops, training that you attended if they are relevant to the job postings. Similarly, if your hobbies are relevant to the job postings and can increase your chances of grabbing the job mention them.  

• References – Well there is a debate over this section. Some employers want it while other doesn’t. So the best way is to write references ‘available on request’. Generally, two references are enough one professional and one personal.

 

4. Float Your Resume

After you have crafted the masterpiece it is time to share it. Send it to the recruiters. Share it with friends and family who can help, post it on job portals.

 

5. Making Your Resume Great

If you want your resume to be the best of best follow these tips

• Replace the objective statement with an executive summary, which should be your elevator pitch explaining who you are. Include industry-specific keywords.
• Always use reverse chronological order while listing your experience and education.
• Add a sentence or two about the companies you have worked as this gives more insight into your experience.
• The text should be readable. Use short paragraphs and bullet points wherever possible instead of long stories.
• The font style, size and colour should be consistent throughout the resume.
• Give the URL to your online profile. The employers will search you online.

Now you are well versed with the art of resume making. So what are you waiting for, Start today! For more tips and jobs in the Philippines, please visit us at jobaxy.com.