10 Tips for Writing a Resume
1. Companies receive tons of resumes and reviewing them is a tedious task. Make yours easy to read, simple, crisp and to the point. It is a good idea to make your resume company-specific and particularly highlight those qualities that you feel the company is looking for.
2. Proofread your resume and ask your relatives to review it for any spelling or grammatical errors. A resume with errors is absolutely unacceptable and will give a shoddy impression.
3. Use bullets to list your achievements. Do not list responsibilities, as that becomes long and boring to read. Ensure that you list the most important achievements first and provide relevant data. Dates, figures, finances, etc make the data more realistic and appreciable. Try and show your interviewer show your skills will benefit the specific company. Your headings should be in bold and underlined.
4. While it is acceptable to show off your skills, do not lie or exaggerate. A company may verify your claims and under such circumstances, authenticity is crucial.
5. Update your resume regularly. Do not think of it as something you made in the past. Having said that, it is not necessary to list everything you have ever done. If it is not relevant to your current area of work (you may have worked in a restaurant and are now a teacher, then there’s no need to list it).
6. Do not use graphics or photos (unless specifically required). Use a font that is easy to read (like Arial, Times new roman) and clear. Use a good quality paper and a good printer. Remember, your resume is what defines you at the first stage and hence, it must be of high quality.
7. Avoid negativity at any cost. Do not write anything that may seem negative in your resume. Leave out details like ‘I hated my previous job’, etc.
8. Your resume should not be more than a page or two. The shorter the better. Keep that in mind while compiling your data.
9. Your contact information should include your name, address, phone and email. This will be right at the top in a clear bold font.
10. Finally, keep an internet version ready. Some companies may want you to send across a soft copy at some point.
