A resume gives an insight into one’s professional stature. In simple terms, it is the education, employment experience, and relevant skills of a candidate in a nutshell. Mostly, hiring managers do not have enough time to thoroughly read every resume they receive for a job posting, hence, the resume has to be effective to leave a mark on the reader at the first glance. Nowadays various software or artificial intelligence techniques are also used to scan the received resumes. So, to get an interview call, the resume has to impress a machine as well in addition to the human reader.
The best way to write a resume is to keep it simple and devoid of any creativity. The following are the top 7 ways to improve the resume and make the cut.
1) ATS (Applicant Tracking System) optimised
Modern-day problems require modern solutions. To make it through the software-based scanning, a resume should include exact keywords or key phrases as appeared in the job listing.
2) Tailored approach
One cannot apply with the same resume for every job opening. The resume should be tailored to meet the requirements of the organisation and the position advertised. Relevant experience and skills should be highlighted.
3) Precise language
A resume is the first impression of an applicant and to assert the seriousness it should have a professional vocabulary and must be grammatically correct. The use of jargon and informal slang should be avoided.
4) Chronological
The most relevant and recent information should be added early in the resume to get hold of the reader’s attention. And overall, the chronology of events should be maintained, reverse chronology format – latest first – should be preferred.
5) Add numbers and details
Numbers catch the peruser’s attention easily and can portray the applicant as result-oriented. Wherever possible, numbers and details should be included to emphasise achievements and competence.
6) Visibility
The resume should not be crammed and easy to read. There should be enough white space on the paper. Everything written on the resume should be clear and presented in a sophisticated manner.
7) Do not lie
One must not lie on the resume as lies get caught. One can write anything on the resume to impress the hiring manager but when they start to scrutinise the claims they can easily segregate the lies, moreover, acing the interview with lies is not possible.
