Tips to Write a Better Resume
If you’ve ever experienced love at first sight before, there must be something special that attracted you to the other person. This experience can be likened to the importance of a good resume when applying for a job. It’s the first thing that catches your potential employer’s attention.
A resume is a document that shows and highlights the qualifications of an applicant applying for a particular position. You might have other skills and qualifications that aren’t relevant to the job in question, so a resume contains those that are needed.
Employers use this to select those who are qualified for a job and are eligible for an interview or the next selection phase. Therefore, convince your employer through a detailed resume by including a summary of your experiences, skills, and degrees. In this post, important tips to write a better resume have been thoroughly explained to help you write better resumes.
Contents
8 Resume Writing Tips to help you get your Dream Job
The style you might want to apply in writing your resume depends on the job you are using for. But irrespective of the job, some professional writing tips work for all resumes. The goal is to stand out and prove that you are the best match for the job. Here are some tips that will help you write professional resumes:
Ensure that Only Necessary Information is Included
In a bid to especially impress your employer, you might be tempted to include some irrelevant details in your resume. This will reduce your chances of landing such a job because most employers don’t spend much time reading the whole content of the resume.
They look out for key things like skills, experiences, and qualifications relevant to the job. Therefore, don’t see your resume as an opportunity to showcase all the skills you have, but as a platform to show that you are the best for the job in question. List out essential skills and arrange them in order of importance. Don’t include an experience you probably had 9 years ago that is less relevant before a recent one.
Make it as Simple as Possible
As much as you try to make your resume stand out, ensure it is straightforward to read. If you are applying for a competitive job, make it readable in less than no time. The fonts you make use of will also make your resume readable. Don’t use complex fonts. Make use of the standard and recommended fonts. Arial and Times new Romans are highly recommended fonts. Your font size shouldn’t exceed 12. And make sure there is consistency in the use of fonts. Don’t make use of different fonts in your resume.
Make use of relevant Keywords
Before you start writing a resume for a job offer, make sure you do proper research on the keywords related to the job description. Do well to include them while writing. Seeing those keywords in your resume will interest those reading it and give them confidence that you know things about the job. In situations where humans might not be the ones to review your resume, you stand a better chance of being selected by the system put in place.
Be Creative to Stand out
The importance of fonts in resume writing has been well emphasized. But asides from fonts, what spice can you add to make your resume stand out? Many people already know about fonts; how do you now stand out?
You can add graphics and videos that are relevant to spice things up. This is not a compulsory thing to do. But if possible, add them. Do it minimally, so it doesn’t destroy the whole work that has been done. You can consult a professional designer for ideas on making it beautiful and on point.
Don’t use the same Resume for different Job descriptions 
A mistake you might be making is using the same resume for jobs with different descriptions. Your resume should be streamlined to the job in question since the aim is to convince the employer that you are qualified for the job. Do your research to see if your resume is enticing and able to land you a job interview or an offer. If there is any need for changes, edit your resume to suit the job description.
Always include your contact info in your Resume
For your contact info, you might not need to include too many details. Your home address might not be necessary unless it is demanded. Your employer will need to contact you in case you are selected for the next phase. The most important details are your phone number, email address, and social media handles. Especially your Twitter handle and LinkedIn profile.
Proofread what you’ve written
It is imperative to proofread your resume before final submission. This will check for typos, grammatical errors, and spelling errors. Spotting such errors in your resume might be a turn for the person going through your resume, so put in your best to ensure it is error-free. You could make use of available online proofreading tools to make things easy. Asides from this, get someone to read and go through it to see if there are corrections or additions needed to be made to your resume.
Ensure you save your work in PDF Format
Instead of sending your resume in a doc format, it is better to use a PDF. Converting it to a PDF maintains the format and arrangement of the resume. The format might change based on the format settings of the system used to open it if you leave it in doc format. Therefore, always convert your resume to PDF before sending it.
Tips to Write a Better Resume: Writing a Great Resume
According to a world population review, the global unemployment rate is between 6.3-6.5%, and this figure increases yearly. This shows getting jobs might in the nearest future depend on your skill in presenting your qualities and competence. Following some of the tips earlier discussed on writing a better resume, would increase your chances of securing a job.
