Opening words
In this blog, we will cover why a resume is important, but also how you should write your resume. In the end, we will go through some good and poor examples of a resume. It is important to keep in mind that a resume does not have a single face, its looks can and should vary. I have only given my opinion, and some tips I believe you should follow.
A resume is important to get a job, it maps both your skills and your training/education. It essentially advertises yourself, it should underline why you should get the job over any other candidate. It is important to remember that your resume is a living document, ever-evolving as your experiences grow and skills improve. Throughout your career, you should always visit your resume and keep the different versions with you.
Tips for writing your resume
Below are some general tips and information you should keep in mind when creating your resume. Try to have these points in the back of your head, as they will help you with your resume.
Be brief. While you may be great at handling and aiding customers, it is not useful to include that on a resume for an accountant job. Only include information relevant to the job you are applying for. Moreover, value elaborating on more recent experiences, and less on your past experiences. Your resume should generally not be more than one or two pages.
Avoid personal information. Also avoid including information about your relationships, religion, nation, and so forth. This may just give you a disadvantage, but it is also illegal for the employer to ask this. He cannot ask you such questions in a resume, nor in a possible interview.
Be professional. You should make your resume look as professional as possible. Your resume should be a reflection of you. Your language and wording should be of utmost professionalism, you should also run it through a spell-check to eliminate any spelling errors. This is to eliminate any possible misunderstanding, In addition, it makes you sound and professional and polite.
Clean layout. Your layout should be kept simple, and do not use fancy fonts, colors, or headers. Your resume should be in plain text and easy to read through. Your resume is not the place to display your GFX skills.
Follow the requirements. Every job application may have all kinds of specific requirements. These requirements could be anything for font size, specific font, and other formalities. This is not just to satisfy the eyes of the employer, but also to make sure you read through your tasks thoroughly and follow the requirements set.
Example resumes
Below are two resumes, one good and one that is poor. These resumes were grabbed from novoresume.com and pinterest.com.
Good resume
This resume is great. It opens up with a summary, which is succinct and active personal explaining career objectives and value to the organization. The email address is professional, and relevant contact information is provided. It briefly goes through skills and their benefits. It also lists the most recent position first in order to showcase skills and knowledge. The language is formal and dramatically correct. The resume also displays relevant training, education, and certificates.
Personally, I would remove the orange color and further elaborate on responsibilities. I would also state how my experience, education, and so forth would benefit the organization. Other than that there is not much negative to say about this resume.
Poor Resume
There is a lot to say about this resume. First off the font and colors are both off-putting and unprofessional. It gives a rather poor first impression. The email is also very unprofessional. Their "objective" is vague, and the candidate does not elaborate upon their relevant skills. The same goes for experience, they do not elaborate upon how it is beneficial. Their education is listed in a poor way, not stating university. The volunteer service part is unnecessary. In total this resume is very lackluster and unprofessional looking. You can compare both for yourself and decide which you would grant an interview.
Conclusion
How you write your resume is in the end up to you. I have just given you advice I believe may benefit you. Ultimately I am not the one deciding upon your resume. Employers all have different things they value and look for. It is always important to keep your resumes and develop them as you go. Also, remember to adapt your resume to the job you are applying for. I hope this guide helped you.
Comments