When writing or updating your resume, the first thing to remember is that a resume is a tool to sell your candidacy to the recruiter.
A resume consists of your objective or summary statement, qualifications, accomplishments, experience, skills, and education, as well as affiliations.
A resume enables the employer to know what type of job you are seeking while drawing their attention to your relevant traits.
The most excellent method to decide what should be included on your resume is to find what the prospective employer would want to know about you to consider you for the position.
Keep in mind that the primary purpose of any resume is to obtain an interview, not the job.
Study the following 30 useful resume writing tips to get help in crafting a resume that will grab the prospective employer’s attention.
30 Effective Resume Writing Tips
1. Do not use a prebuilt resume template or copy/paste a resume sample from the internet. Instead, use a plain, simple, and attractive layout and format that is easy to read and understand.
2. Use 10-12 pt font size and Ariel, Verdana, or Times New Roman font type.
3. Write your name in bold font. The text size of your name should be slightly larger than the other text of the resume.
4. Mention your two-word name for more natural name recognition. That being said, eliminate the middle name. For example, write John Doe instead of John K. Doe.
5. Write your contact details (mailing address, phone number, LinkedIn ID, and e-mail) in a relatively small size.
6. Mention only one personal mobile number and one email address.
7. Use short bullet points under different headings such as experience, achievements, and skills. Bullet points should start with action verbs such as achieved, demonstrated, guided, governed, and planned. Avoid using long paragraphs in your resume.
8. Objective Vs. Summary/Profile Statement: Objectives for internships emphasize that you desire to improve your skills. Alternately, objectives for entry-level candidates must state the skills you would bring to the company. On the other hand, you can write a summary or profile statement if you have 10+ years of hands-on experience in a similar capacity.
9. Use job-relevant keywords in the skills and competencies section.
10. The length of your resume must not exceed two pages. More than 1 page is only useful if you have more than ten years of experience in hand.
11. List everything (employment, certifications, education, internships, activities) in reverse chronological order. That is to say; the last job should be mentioned first.
12. Write section titles in the capital letter (upper case) using a bold font — for example, SUMMARY, EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, SKILLS.
13. List your degrees by month and year. If they are more than ten years old, the month must not be listed.
14. Give the accurate title of your degree in the education section of the resume.
15. In the employment or experience section, list your achievements instead of merely writing job descriptions. If you have a few accomplishments in your name, you may write a job description but create a sub-section of the achievements under each experience.
16. Use the present tense of verbs to explain duties in your current employment.
17. Use the past tense when describing responsibilities from a past job.
18. Never use the words “I,” “me,” or “my” in your resume.
19. List additional languages in which you are fluent. If you have traveled to or lived in different countries, include that information also.
20. List your GPA only if it is 3.0 or above.
21. List your professional affiliations, memberships, and awards at the bottom of the page.
22. Use buzzwords and keywords related to your profession. The skills or core competencies section is the best for this purpose.
23. Mention your computer skills such as MS Word, Excel, systems, languages, programs, and databases.
24. If you are an entry-level applicant with no experience in hand or changing your career path, a functional or skills-based resume will be more effective.
25. Never write your personal and confidential information in your resume. That includes your date of birth, marital status, social security, or national identity number.
26. Eliminate the hobbies and interests except they would be appropriate for the job.
27. Do not include references in the resume. If required, you may attach an additional sheet for reference.
28. Do not rely only on an automatic spell check of MS Word or other software. It sometimes does not detect typing errors and mistakes in capital letters. Therefore, check the content of your resume manually and have it proofread by your family member or acquaintance.
29. Take an extra copy of your resume with you when leaving for interviews.
30. If you are applying through email, attach your resume as a PDF document instead of a Doc or Docx to preserve formatting.