1. PICK THE RIGHT TEMPLATE

There are a plethora of resume templates available on Microsoft Word and on Google Docs. All you need to do is select the one that matches your requirement.

There are three main forms of layouts:

• Reverse-Chronological Resume – It’s one of the most widely used formats across the globe. In this format your work experience comes at the beginning, followed by the courses you’ve done or your achievements and then your educational background.
• Functional Resume – Even functional is one of the most essential resumes, in this layout your education and skills sit at the beginning and it speaks more about your achievement rather than experience.
• Combination (or Hybrid) Resume – As the name suggests, this format is a mix of both the above. It talks about your experience and achievements.

Since it’s your first resume we suggest a functional resume as it focuses more on your skills and achievements that could help the recruiters assess the main pointers. Even though it’s your start don’t let the recruiters think the same.

The resume must consist of the following sections:

• Header: that consists of your name and contact details.
• Objective:e. a short summary of your skills.
• Education: wherein you added the schools and colleges you’ve attended as well as your score.
• Experience section: Absurd? Yes. But you’ll see ahead, it may come in handy.
• Skills section: a list of your abilities and expertise.

2. FILL IN THE MAJOR DETAILS

Once you’ve picked the format, the next step is to perfect your layout, font, and alignment.

• Pick a Common Font: We recommend Calibri, Overpass, or Arial.
• Use Bullets to Describe Your Experiences.
• Don’t Go Over One Page: Unless you have the experience to write about don’t exceed more than one page.

Once done with the formation, start with your contact information. It’s important for the recruiters to at the very least have two ways of reaching back to you. You should always provide your contact information in the resume which includes:

• First and last name: Your first and the last name
• Email: Usually email is the official mode of contact, make sure you provide a working email to which you have access.
• Phone number: A relevant number where the recruiters can reach out to you and discuss details on call.
• Location: Your address, basic will do too.

Above are the must-haves, although, you can also provide:

LinkedIn URL: It makes it easier to go through your profile and know more about you apart from your resume which is an add-on benefit. Keep everything updated on your LinkedIn profile.

Website or blog: If you write something and it is relevant to the job you are applying make sure to add it or else you can skip it too.

3. RESUME OBJECTIVE

Recruiters spend hardly a few seconds on the objective, most probably 6-7 seconds. So you exactly have 7 seconds to make the recruiters think you’re the ideal candidate he is looking for.

That’s where the objective of your resume comes in!

A resume objective mainly consists of a 2-3 sentence summary of your skills, achievements, and career goals. The main purpose of an objective is to communicate your motivation and the purpose of your goal. It should be tailored in a way that highlights your skills and accomplishments.

4. FOCUS ON EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Education is the biggest attractive asset, apart from your skills, take advantage of the years of education and write it down in detail. Also, try and focus on listing your achievements and not your responsibilities. It will help you stand out from the rest of the other candidates. Uniqueness is what recruiters are looking for nowadays.

• Write down the education details with the year you completed in
• Add your GPA and the percentage you scored in high school (if it’s something impressive)
• Emphasize your bachelor/honors
• Highlight your academic achievements.

 Make a list of the specific relevant courses that match the job you’re applying for. It makes a good impression for a recent graduate or someone who is looking for changing careers, with no experience to show.

5. HIGHLIGHT YOUR SKILLS

You need to convince the recruiters you have what he/she is looking for in their ideal candidate. That’s the reason you must give your skills as much preeminence as possible.

There are two types of skills that can be added to your resume:

• Hard Skills
• Soft Skills

Hard skills refer to technical knowledge or knowledge about specific tools. Some examples of hard skills include:

• Accounting
• Adobe Photoshop
• Microsoft Office
• Salesforce

Although hard skills are preferred, soft skills are the ones that recruiters look for as well. Such as your attributes, your attitude, and your skills. We do prefer hard skills over soft skills. Some examples of soft skills include:

• Teamwork
• Critical thinking
• Fast learner
• Team player

The thing is, though, the recruiters can’t tell if the soft skills you listing are accurate or you are adding them just for namesake, hard skills are proof that you have acquired those and can be of help in the future.

6. MENTION DETAILS ABOUT YOURSELF

• Volunteering: If you have some volunteering experience, you should add it as it shows your commitment and dedication. (Do add it if it is relevant to the job you apply for)
• Languages: Language is the key to success. English is the most preferred language, knowing others too can be an added advantage. As companies are flourishing their business internationally it can be of great help. Who knows?
• Hobbies: You list down your genuine hobbies/interests relevant to your application, or just some good habits you follow.
• Awards & Certifications: Anything that flatters your resume, add it without thinking twice. Whether it is an online course or a school competition on essay writing, why cut down on certifications
• Marital Status: It’s a piece of basic information to be added to your resume.
• O.B: It is one of the basic information you provide to the recruiters that you’re legal to work.

Once you have completed all your details, take a step back and go through the information you have provided. Once finished and satisfied send out your resume to the recruiters.

All The Best!