It makes no sense to even start a job search unless you have an excellent resume ready.
Your CV can be compared to a business card, or even to short sales pitch, simply something the employers will look at and consider, before deciding whether it makes sense to invite you for an interview.
However, you need time to write a good resume. And time is something students may not have, because they are extremely busy with other writing assignments.
However, you can turn to professionals working on essay writing jobs, who will take care of other papers you have to craft. Then you can finally focus only on your new excellent resume. Let’s have a look at few characteristics of such a paper.
Table of Contents
General characteristics of an excellent resume
Everything can go wrong if you do not stick to the basics of resume writing. Here they are:
- Readability. Avoid archives and the latest versions of fonts–since not everyone would be able to read them on their device. Use reliable Times New Roman or Arial fonts in black, at least 11 pt but not larger than 14pt. Do not overuse bold, italics, underscores and especially capital letters – they are generally poorly read and poorly perceived.
- Structurality. Break your resume down into parts to highlight the most important points.
- Literacy. Check it yourself or let someone read your resume before submitting it for job offers. Mistakes are not acceptable.
- Conciseness. Try to keep it simple and to the point. Bullet-points and numbering can help you here.
- Concreteness. Confirm your achievements with the positive numbers and indicators. Try to make each results tangible, hiring managers will appreciate that.
- Style. You will find countless excellent resume templates online. Give it a little twist to make it unique.
Title on your resume
Just like with any other piece of writing, you need to use a good title to grab attention of your readers–this time the HR managers.
Think about the keywords they would write when searching a resume database, or LinkedIn. For example PR manager, Software Developer, Assistant Chef , etc. Use the key phrase in the title of the resume.
The best titles indicate only one particular position, the one you desire the most to get. If you master different specialties, create separate resumes for each one.
* May also interest you: Job application tips – Learn how to write a great job application.
Key Information – the first few sentences on your resume
An average recruiter gives your resume just a few seconds. You either grab their attention, or they will move on to the next applicant. Try to include the following near the top of your resume:
- Your best achievements and experience, things you are really proud of, and consider valuable for the particular position you try to get.
- Knowledge & skills that are essential or required for the job.
Try to highlight only a few things, the most important ones. They will see other while studying your resume in detail.
Work Experience – What to mention and what to avoid
If you’ve had many jobs and worked in many places, try to include the most relevant and most recent jobs only. You should always:
- Briefly describe the responsibilities you had in each job.
- Mention some key accomplishments, citing figures and facts wherever possible, avoiding abstract, non-specific phrases.
But you do not have to disclose everything on your resume. We suggest you to avoid talking about the following:
- Physical health (except for specialties for which your health plays a pivotal role, such as hard manual labor).
- Your weight and height (if you do not try to get a job of a model).
- Part-time jobs, especially if they aren’t relevant for your current application.
- Weaknesses and bad habits (though you likely won’t avoid answering the “What are your weaknesses?” question in your interview).
- Small, simple duties that everyone can handle, such as answering emails.
- Anything about relationships you had with your team in your last job.
Always include a picture
People are visual beings and the first thing they notice on your resume is your picture.
Choose a nice picture on which they can clearly see some positive emotions. Hands, shoulders, heads and other parts of the bodies of other people should not be visible on this picture.
Find or take a special business-style photo. Modesty, in this case, will be very helpful. It goes without saying that the photo in the resume cannot be “in beach style” or “in an erotic pose”. Again, unless you apply for a job of a model or hostess…
Remember that you should not use images that aren’t you intellectual property. That can easily backfire against you, and the last thing you want to risk is a legal action…
Foreign language skills, hobbies
When indicating the level of your proficiency in any foreign language, try to stay humble, and do not exaggerate. If your language skills play a pivotal role for a job, they will be tested in an interview, and you will only get embarrassed when you cannot keep to the promises from your resume.
At the end of your CV you can include two or three hobbies, just to show the HR managers that you have some life outside of work as well. Sometimes, when your hobbies happen to match with the hobbies of the HR managers, they may actually help you to get an invitation for an interview.
At the end of the day, everyone prefers to talk to people who share the same hobbies and values…
Conclusion
In 21st century you cannot get a job without having at least a decent resume. Try to keep it simple, one page long, and focus on things that matter the most for your prospective employer.
Always include a picture of your face, and try to adhere to the rules of effective resume writing as we described them in this article… When you are done, you can continue your preparation with us:
- 15 most common interview questions – Test the waters and learn how to answer the most common questions.
- Job application tips – Great resume is just one part of a successful application. Learn how to take care of the other parts.
