Why an exceptional resume?

Joseph Abbound iterates that “Making a strong first impression is as important as ever, especially when meeting face-to-face”. Though it is a myth that having an impressive resume will always land oneself to their next job, concocting an exceptional resume these days has added advantage of attracting the hiring managers. This article expounds the need of an extraordinary resume and highlights the key features for writing it.

About Yourself

  • It is not necessary to write up everything there. It is enough to highlight the accomplishments and skills that are more relevant.
  • Make sure that the best experiences and accomplishments are visible on top of the resume.This is called “above the fold”, which will grab recruiter’s attention.
  • Make the information to be concise and keep it to single page. This showcases how the resume is well organized

Formatting

  • Only include the subheadings and sections that is really needed.
  • It is always a best practice to have one inch margin and preferably 1.5 line spaces.
  • It is not mandatory to include the address, but it’s advisable to add the professional email address and phone number

Skills, Awards and Interests

  • Add a section that lists out all the skills relevant to the position and also any certifications that could boost up the profile.
  • If there is a lot of skill sets related to the position, break down the skills sections further into small lists, and detail it.
  • Don’t forget to add the awards and accolades received. It can include both career development as well as personal achievement.

 

Education

  • It is always a good practice to highlight the experience first and followed by education.
  • This section is little tricky as it goes, that it is better to list out the education qualification in reverse chronological order.
  • List out the ongoing certification courses, professional development coursework as well which will be an added advantage.

Experience

  • Keep the most relevant years of experience at the top and include them only if it’s relevant to the position for which it is applied.
  • It is not necessary to throw light on every industry jargon. It is better to bring down to a level that it is readable and relevant.
  • It’s is a good practice to mix up the words rather than going for same “Responsible for” as it may bore the readers.

How to Finish it up

  • Proof Reading is the best practice to look up for any typos and freeing it up, to make a resume look even better.
  • Naming a file is as important as considering even minor suggestions into account.
  • Keep refreshing the contents of the resume for every quarter by including the new skills, new certificates etc.
  • It is better to save the file as pdf rather than a doc file, as it doesn’t involve any accidental alignment changes which might mess up the Resume’s look.

You are all set now to attend that interview you have been waiting for…

Good Luck!

About the author:

Mrinalini:  a computer science graduate, with an overall experience of about 6 years in IT industry. Though I had been a techie full time, I always had a love for writing and thirst for becoming a writer. Mother of 3 year old Kid, it took me years to realise, what I needed to make myself end my day completely satisfied. Am a blogger, traveler, adventure lover and an ardent book reader. I read a lot, believe books are the best companions in the world. I love to enjoy each day of my life, as it often comes bagged with full of surprises.

(The author is a guest blogger at Her Second Innings. The opinions expressed are those of the author.) You can reach our guest bloggers by mailing us at support@hersecondinnings.com.

Her Second Innings, helps capable women professionals to find their calling in their second innings. Women looking to get back to their careers, or needing advice to pursue alternate career to become financially independent Sign up with us and complete your profile. Feel free to connect with us at support@hersecondinnings.com after completing your registration formalities, our career experts would be happy to have a conversation with you and assist you to take the assessment to gauge your current knowledge level to restart your career.

Disclaimer:

“This blog claims no credit for any images or content posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images and content on this blog belong to their respective owners. If there is an image or content on this blog that belongs to you and you do not wish for it to appear on this site, please e-mail us with a link to said image or content and it will be promptly removed.”