How To Write A Resume

A good resume is how you create a good first impression with your potential employer.

If you can impress the employer on paper and make them want to meet with you in person, you’re not only one step closer to getting the interview you want, you’re also increasing the likelihood of you landing the job you want.

Here are some important things for you to consider when you’re preparing a resume for your next interview.

Before you begin

Know your goals

Whether you’re writing a one-page or a two-page A4 sized resume, or trying to enrich your LinkedIn profile page, you must engender a sense of continuity between your past experiences and your future goals within the limited amount of space you’re given to work with.

Your interviewer will evaluate you based on your past experiences to draw clues about whether you would be a good fit as a member of their company. So before you begin, ask yourself, what type of industry do you see yourself working in? And what type of roles do you see yourself fulfilling in a professional capacity?

Comb through your experiences

Make a list of keywords about your achievements and accolades, as well as any notable skills you’ve acquired along the way - be it knowledge-based ‘hard skills’ (e.g. command of a foreign language, proficiency in computer programming) or work-related ‘soft skills’ (e.g. leadership, interpersonal skills). It’s important that you list out those keywords. If you’ve got the numbers and figures to back up your claims, then it’s even better.

Learn about the job opening and the company’s culture

Doing so can help you gain insights into the types of skills and abilities that the company values in a candidate. Look for keywords about the company and the job opening. Is it creativity they’re looking for? Are they after a good communicator? Or would they be more interested in the highest sales figures you’ve achieved so far? Investigate.

From keywords, a resume is born

If your investigations led you to conclude that the employer is looking for an applicant with say, strong communication skills, then, it would be worthwhile for you to embed those communication related keywords that you listed out earlier throughout the resume. Also, you can focus more on mentioning your communication related experiences.

Again, it would be even better if you could back up your claims with the corresponding numbers and figures, or quantifiable indicators.

If you already have a resume, you can also tweak it to match what you have learned about the company and the job opening. Remove any description or keywords unrelated to the position, and focus on enhancing the relevant content.

The devil is in the details!

Remember to double check your resume after you’ve finished composing it, and make sure you provided the correct details and spellings for your name, contact information (phone, email) and qualifications.