A step-by-step guide to creating a successful resume

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A resume is not just a list of professional skills. It forms the first and sometimes the final judgment about the applicant for a vacant position. The job of a resume is to get not just feedback, but a job. We'll show you how to write a successful resume.

Step 1. Examine the materiel

It is believed that it is not necessary to write a resume to get a job. Instead, you can send, for example, a portfolio or a product made for a specific company (article, logo, etc.).

But such maneuvers rarely work and, as a rule, in very creative offices. Most companies follow the traditional recruiting approach: resume + interview. Therefore, it is important to know how HR managers perceive the resume and what they and employers look at first.

Five golden rules:

1. If it's hard to find your work experience, education, and skills on your resume, you might just as well give away a blank sheet.
2. If you don't make it clear how useful you are to the company, you are doomed to fail.
3. If your resume cannot be skimmed, it will not be viewed at all.
4. If you plan to make it to an interview, you'll have to go through HR first.
5. If the contact information is incorrect, nothing else matters.

Many in the resume describe education in detail, up to courses in cutting and sewing. In fact, personnel officers and employers look not at knowledge, but at experience: the last position held, recognition of the previous company, work experience, and so on. Also, your marital status and hobbies are of little interest. A five-year break from work will tell an employer much more about your personality traits.

Step 2. Write

From theory to practice.

Hate writing a resume? It is explainable.

Before the interview, you are not a person, but a resume.

And it seems, no matter how hard you try, you still cannot express the essence - the resume will remain unanswered, and you are out of work. These fears can be overcome.

Remember:

• A resume should not reveal all facets of your unique personality, and your self-esteem should not depend on the presence or absence of a job at the moment.
• Don't worry about every turn of speech. If the employer sees you as a professional, it will not matter to him whether the resume is written in the first person or in the third person.
• It is important to clearly distinguish between professional and personal qualities. List only what is important for a particular position. It's great if you are sociable, but, let's say, for a programmer, this does not play a special role.

Overcome your fears, decide where to write your resume. Its effectiveness does not depend on the frames and monograms on the letterhead - no need to look for exquisite templates and select fonts. An easy and quick way to design an easy-to-read resume is Google Docs.

Here you will find templates for resumes and cover letters (in the same style). As you work, you don't have to worry about saving - Google will take care of that. The finished document can be printed or sent by e-mail in DOCX or PDF formats. The latter is preferred. Also, your resume will be stored in the cloud, which means it will always be at hand.

Recently, not paper, but video resumes have been popular. More precisely, not only paper ones - recruiters are often asked to record a video in addition to their regular CV.

Video resume is a special genre. It allows the HR department to evaluate a candidate without an interview.

A video resume must meet the following criteria:

1. Compliance of the video with a vacant position. You are applying for a specific position in a specific company, so the video should be about you as an employee of this organization.
2. The video should not duplicate the content of the written summary. It is recommended to talk not about your qualifications (the employer will read about this on paper), but about the benefits that the company will receive from cooperation with you.
3. Don't make your video long. Brevity is a sign of professionalism. The employer will appreciate the respect for his time.
4. Be visible. Recruiters have to go through hundreds of interviews. Try to stand out from the gray mass. Creativity and moderate humor will not go unnoticed.
5. Imagine your friends or family watching your video. If you are confused by this thought, do not submit it.

A non-standard resume is like a roulette: you will either be considered cool and immediately hired, or written down as idiots and blacklisted. Creative interviews are not for everyone. If you are afraid of criticism, then it is better not to even try. It is also not suitable for all specialties. But there are also pluses:

• Inappropriate companies will be eliminated immediately.
• At the interview, you will not be "one of", but "the one who …".
• New acquaintances will appear in a professional environment.
• If you are hired, you will, a priori, have a reputation for being an outstanding employee.

Step 3. Edit

Webwriters have a rule: write the text, re-read and remove all unnecessary, then put it aside for a few hours, or preferably days, and edit it again. It's the same with a resume. Do not submit it immediately after composing. Re-read and analyze your resume for the following shortcomings.

1. Spelling and punctuation errors. Not sure if you are literate? Ask a person who is fluent in Russian to check the document.
2. More than one or two pages long. Practically nobody reads essays of three or four pages.
3. Lack of subheadings, highlighting important points, lists, and so on. Unformatted text is difficult and boring to read.
4. Insider information.
5. Lie. You can easily be exposed, and then you will definitely not get a job.

Then think about what you can take away from your resume. As stated earlier, it should reflect the position of "Who am I in the context of this work?" And not just "Who am I?"

A long and confusing resume is desperate.

Feel free to cross out everything that does not characterize you as a professional worthy of this position. This will reduce the volume and significantly improve the quality of your resume.

Your resume is now almost perfect. But there are a few more traps you can fall into. First, the lack of a clear connection between the stated purpose of the resume and the existing work experience. Secondly, the lack of explanation of the reasons for long interruptions in work. Third, the lack of experience. As mentioned, the track record is looked at first. If you are a student and have nothing to brag about, then indicate that you are in the process of studying, and put the date of its completion, and most importantly, describe your potential (victories in student competitions, community service, and so on).

Step 4. Submit

Find out what form of communication is preferable in the company you are interested in. If they still work with regular mail, then print your cover letter and resume on good paper. Choose a color envelope that is noticeable but not flashy. Fill it in by hand.

When sending your resume by e-mail, there are the following tips.

• Do not use email like [email protected]. Your email address should be business-like simple: first and last name or last name and initials.
• Be sure to include the subject line. For example, "Resume: Sales Manager" or "CV: Designer".
• Place the accompanying text in the body of the letter ("I am such and such … I am writing to you because … the resume is in the attachment"), and attach the resume to the letter.
• Do not forget to indicate the contacts (in addition to email) where you can be contacted.

These are general guidelines. When posting a vacancy, the employer may put forward specific requirements. For example, attach a photo or so that the size of the attached file does not exceed 250 KB. Observe them.

Taking into account all the nuances, feel free to click "Send".

Never get a job for money. Robert Kiyosaki

We hope our tips will help you write a successful resume and find your dream job. Good luck!