How to Write a Resume for a Job

How to Write a Resume for a Job?

With the recent fluctuations in the job market, securing a job has become more difficult than ever. Most of the job interviews are conducted on online software. And even the face-to-face interviews value a great deal about how an employee performs in remote working conditions. With this thing set in mind, it is the ideal time for you to update your resume. The skills that you may have mentioned on your old resume may not contribute much effect to this world of today.

Most people prefer writing a new resume instead of tearing apart the old one and making forced changes. It gives you more freedom and provides an open room for creative ideas. When you’re looking to apply for a job, your resume is the first thing the hiring committee will notice. It will reflect your personality and will dictate your chances of getting called up for an interview.

How Do You Write a Good Resume?

Before jumping on how do you write a good resume, we have to first understand why is writing a resume important for your job chances. Why can’t you get it done from a third party? Let me answer it with a statistic:

“54% of job seekers do not customize their resume according to the job they’re applying.”

And this is a top reason, why recruiters don’t even consider calling you up. A standardized resume can cause you more harm than good. Sure, it saves your time and effort. But it also hurts the relevancy factors of your resume. You can create more impact with a customized resume. This is because you can craft it by keeping in mind the specific scope and requirements of the job.
By now, you would have cleared your head about the need of a good resume. And you’d be wondering, how do I make a job resume? So, let’s start on that.

Following are some of the step on writing a good resume:

1.Pick a Format Layout

The first step in building a resume is picking the right format. Now, resumes come in various orientations. Some prefer the functional or reverse chronological format. Others opt for a combination of the two. In any case, the reverse chronological is generally preferred and has a better hand if you ask any employer. Another thing to clear is the layout you’ll be using. By now, you’ll be clear that a resume comes in all shapes and colors. You have to decide what you’ll be backing for yours. Generally, a simple layout is preferred provided that it’s easy to read and skim.

2.List Contact Details

The next step is to arrange your contact details. Your contact portals tell a lot about you. The basic details include name, telephone number, and email address. Flowing with the trend, some recruiters may even check out your professional handles to check through the details you’ve claimed. LinkedIn is the best platform for such purposes. Candidates with a thorough profile may be preferred if the recruiter decides to take things digital. Moreover, you can also link the resume with an online portfolio. It’ll make you stand out among the other shortlisted candidates.

3.Craft a Pitch

The most important part of your resume is the top-shelved objective/summary. It is a culmination of your interests and showcases what you want to achieve in the near future. Not only does this section gives an idea about your objective for the job application but also provides an insight to the recruiter. Apart from this, all the other details are just facts and titles. This small paragraph of 2-3 statements gives your resume a pitch to start with. It is normally the first thing a recruiter would read and should be added at the top.

4.Sort Your Experiences

Now comes the part with the titles. The recruiter would like to read about your past experiences. Normally, this section comprises of two parts whose importance vary with conditions. If you’re a professional with a few years of experience at your back, you’ll focus more on narrating your Work Experiences in the last ten years. But if you’re a recent graduate looking for an entry-level opening, you may focus on the Educational History and will want to talk about any internship, volunteering, or extra-curricular activity you may have engaged in.

5.List Your Skills

Skills are also an important aspect of the job hunting. Many of you may feel the need to go with the trendy skills. But that is not the case. The recruiter will appreciate if you be honest while mentioning your skill set. Some of them have the ability to see through a person during interview. They can easily tell if you’ve misused a skill in your resume. Skills are of two types; hard and soft. Both of them should be added in the resume organically according to your interests.

6.Highlight Honors & Achievements

This is also an important step as it tells the employer why you should stand out as compared to the other applicants. Your honors and achievements will be personalized and will tell the employer what type of person you are. In some cases, it may even tell about your interests. This especially helps the fresh graduates entering the market. They can use the extra curriculars to increase their job chances.

7.Make Adjustments

If you’re wondering how do you write a good resume, this is your answer; updates and adjustments. A standardized set is one of the things you should not include in a resume. Every resume should be unique to the job requirements. You should first understand the job you’re applying for. And then look for experiences that stand you out better for it. This is more convenient, both for you and the recruiter.

8.Write a Cover Letter

At last, if you’re willing to cover the extra mile in securing the job, go ahead and write a relating cover letter. A cover letter stands you out among your competitors and gives you an edge. This is because a resume is a set of information. But to accompany that data with personalized ambitions and emotions is something only a cover letter can do. It allows you to research your job in a better way. And gives the recruiter a lot to think about before even meeting you for the interview.

What are the 3 F’s of Resume Writing?

Common to many, resume writing is based on 3 F’s. It’s a clever technique to craft, analyze, and proofread your resume before submitting it for a job. If you’re confused about your resume needing an alteration, just check for the following three factors; Form, Function, and (e)Ffectiveness.

Form is all about the style and layout of your resume. Your objective should to make your resume as simple and accessible as you can. Most hiring managers spend less than 30 seconds on your resume. To be successful, you have to make those seconds count.

Function concerns your objective for the resume. You should be clear about what you’re applying for. If you’re looking for a job, you should be aware of its details. This way, you can better inform the recruiter about your goals and intention.

For a resume to be (e)ffective, it should have all the relevant details. Try not to diverge too much from the requirements. Demonstrate your knowledge and experience to support the function. At last, proofread your resume and make sure there are no mistakes.

Things You Should Always Include on Your Resume

No matter what the job you’re applying to, there are some rules that remain universal. You should always be wary of these components. For instance,

“77% of hiring managers consider typos or grammatical errors as absolute deal breakers.”

So, it should be clear that typos are one of the things you should not include in a resume. It is important you proofread the whole text again and again to ensure nothing like this happens in your case. Below are more of the things you should always include on your resume:

1.Job Keywords

As established before, an ideal resume should be revolved around the job you’re applying for. For that, it’s important that you first read the job description and target some power words. Try to include these keywords organically in your resume. For example, if a company is looking for a design engineer, you should include more of your design projects and experiences in the resume in order to let them know that you’re ideal for this job.

2.Quantitative Data

Numbers play a vital role in the outlook of your resume. Many companies prefer to evaluate performance on the basis of numbers and figures. For example, instead of saying “increased sales and managed outflowing expenditures during my time”. You should look for something like “increased sales by 34% and cut expenditures by 16% in the first two years”.

3.Appropriate Spacing

A resume is as good as it looks. Many people do not realize the effect a balanced spacing can have on a viewer. Your resume should have the right amount of white space. It should neither be too crowdy with words, nor should it be half empty. You should fill it with just the right amount of information and keep it under 2 pages at all cost.

Conclusion

To sum everything up, you have to make your mind about some things, before you start writing a resume. Many people ignore these very basic guidelines and then suffer in the job market. If you want your resume to perform, you have to make sure that it is simple, sleek, and accessible. The content should be related to what the employer wants to see in his ideal candidate. But even then, an advice would be to avoid forging false information, as it will do you more harm than good, in the short as well as the long run.