How to Write a Professional Resume for Guaranteed Job Success?
A good resume can help determine whether you will be selected for an interview or not. Therefore, writing a resume highlighting your professional values and ethics is important. In this blog, we will share with you some of the best practices and tips to help you write a professional resume for job. Below, we have covered all the necessary points to help you create a trendy resume. All you need to do is follow our guide and get guaranteed job success with our tips!
Choose The Right Resume Format With This Hack!
The first and most important step to start making your resume is to choose the right format for resume that best compliments your situation. The right resume format helps in crafting a resume in an organized manner that is neat, concise, and clear.
There are three resume formats from which you can choose from. Based on your skills, career goals, and your previous work history, choose a resume format that helps highlight your professional values accurately. Check out these resume formats below to know which one suits your profile the best.
■ Functional Resume
A functional resume is the type of resume that helps you highlight your abilities and skills. If you don’t have a consistent or solid work history but have a strong set of skills or abilities, use this format for your resume. Check fresher resume template word samples to craft an excellent functional resume.
Every company aims to hire a potential candidate as their employee who can help achieve their company goals and grow better. So, if your skills and abilities are relevant to the job role you wish to apply for, this resume format can greatly help you.
■ Chronological Resume
A chronological resume is the most common format almost every applicant uses. If you use this resume format, you can organize the work history section of your resume in reverse chronological order. With this resume, you can arrange your work history in a descending manner that will help your employer better know about your previous experiences.
Use this resume format if you have strong work experience consistent with little to no career changes or gaps. Any employer would wish to hire a reliable candidate who stays in a company for a very long time. So, this resume format is ideal for you if you have a progressive work history.
■ Combination Resume
A combination resume is the type of resume that gives you the benefit of combining the above two types of resumes proportionately. If you have a rich work history background along with a solid set of skills and abilities, use this resume format.
This resume format will help you in highlighting both your work history and skills, giving equal necessary importance to both. So if you are someone who has the best of both career worlds, go for this format without a second thought.
We have provided a list of a few factors below that will help you select the best resume format based on your situation. Go through it for a filtered and clear solution:
- Type of job you wish to apply for
- The preferences and expectations of the hiring manager
- The company and industry you are targeting
- The weaknesses and strengths of your skills and work history.
These are some of the factors you must consider before choosing a resume format. If you are new to making a resume and need guidance, check relevant fresher resume template word samples from your job title and industry. This will help you get a clear picture of the above factors and how to format your resume better.
How To Write a Resume Objective or Summary that Captures Your Strengths and Career Goal?
Writing a resume summary or objective is not a cakewalk. Your resume summary must immediately capture your employer’s interest with your career strengths and goals. So, you must utilize the opportunity to craft a good resume objective.
Your resume objective is a very short statement that appears at the top of your resume before any other details. This means it acts as a means of introduction for your entire resume. Every employer decides whether to read a resume or not depending on the resume summary. So, you must be able to summarize yourself, your contribution, and what makes you fit for the role very precisely.
Before we help you to write a flawless resume objective or summary, let us look at the difference between them.
■ Resume Summary
If you have years of relevant job experience that establishes a clear and sorted career direction, a resume summary is a great option for you. With the help of a resume summary, you will be able to highlight your skills, impressive achievements, and qualifications. This will help your employer understand how beneficial your skills and qualifications can be for the company’s betterment.
■ Resume Objective
A resume objective is a great option for those individuals who are looking for a career change, a fresher or have limited work experience. Even if you are a graduate, you can use resume objectives to write a good resume. This will help you in writing your aspirations and career goals clearly showing how they align with the recruiter’s expectations and needs.
Now that you know how to choose between a resume objective or summary based on your situation, let us look at some tips below. These tips will come in handy for you and help you write a good resume objective or summary as needed. They are as follows:
- Customize your statement as per the employer’s requirements and the specific job needs you wish to apply for.
- Make sure that your resume objective or summary is concise with a maximum of 3-4 sentences. Use bullet points for extra clarity and precision.
- Include phrases and keywords that best match the employer’s values and job description.
- Use positive, formal, and strong language that showcases your enthusiasm and confidence.
How To Write a Resume Objective or Summary For Freshers?
Despite knowing the basic difference between a resume objective and a resume summary, freshers often find it difficult to craft a compelling resume statement. If you too are a fresher and facing difficulty in writing a fresher resume objective, don’t worry! Below, we have mentioned some steps that will help you write a resume objective. Follow them to get a call for an interview after applying immediately!
■ Step 1:
First, research the company and the job profile you want to apply for. Doing your research will help you know the kind of qualifications, skills, and expectations the employer has from their ideal candidate. This is the most crucial stop that you can’t afford to omit before writing a resume objective. It will help you craft just the type of resume the hiring manager expects. Customizing your fresher resume objective can increase the chance of your resume being shortlisted.
■ Step 2:
Then you must identify your achievements, strengths, and skills. Look for the professional skills and strengths that collide with the job requirements and company needs.
If you are facing difficulty in knowing your strengths, think about any internships, courses, or extracurricular activities that you have participated in. This can give you a fair share of ideas about your strengths that demonstrate your potential and abilities.
You can also think about any honors, awards, or recognitions you have received that show your achievements and excellence. These can help you figure out your achievements and skills that you can add to your fresher resume objective.
■ Step 3:
Your resume objective must ensure that the employer recognizes your potential and what you can contribute to the welfare of the company. Therefore, you must write a resume objective that highlights your values boldly.
For this, you can use positive and strong words that help highlight your achievements and skills. You must not use any vague statements. Your fresher resume objective must be clear, precise, and to the point. You can add the name of the company and the position you are applying for stating how your skills and achievements help them achieve their goals.
So these are a few steps that you can follow to write a flawless resume objective. However, we want to guide you as much as possible. Therefore, we have added some extra beneficial tips below. Refer to these while writing a resume objective.
- Always use first-person pronouns like ‘I, my, or me’. Avoid using any type of third-person pronouns like ‘he, she, or they’.
- Use powerful words and active verbs to write your achievements and skills better like ‘created’, ‘improved', ‘achieved’, or ‘managed’.
- Keep your resume objective short. An ideal resume objective must not exceed more than three sentences.
Best Ways To List Your Work Achievements and Experience In a Way That Demonstrates Your Relevance and Impact
Highlighting work achievements and experiences is important as it can help establish relevance and create a positive impact on your profile. This is the most important section of your resume as it helps you add your professional accomplishments and history.
In this section, you will have to provide substantial evidence of how you have utilized your abilities and skills to deliver a positive outcome to your previous employers. However, many applicants often lose track and direction while writing this section as it is very detailed. To help you list your work experience and achievements in the best ways, we have provided some tips below. Follow them to write an outstanding resume.
- Begin adding your work achievements and experiences that are most recent or you have achieved in your current job. Every employer wants to know the details of your last employer. So, start in a descending manner by adding your latest achievements and work your way backward.
- For every job, you must include the following list of information:
- Your job title
- Name of the company
- Location of the company
- Dates of your employment
- Use bullet points to properly describe your job role, responsibilities, main duties, and achievements for every job.
- Use action verbs to show your previous job role. What you used to do daily and how you carried out your responsibilities every day.
- Highlight the set of achievements or skills that are impressive and most relevant for the job role you wish to apply for.
- Use key phrases and keywords that collide with the employer’s values and job ethics.
These are a few tips that you can use as a means of guidance while writing your work experiences and descriptions. However, to help you write better, we have added a few extra points below. Follow them to craft a compelling resume that assures guaranteed job success.
- When you write a resume, it is not just the tone, style, and language that matters but also the formatting as well. Use clear and consistent formatting patterns like alignment, bolding, and spacing.
- Use reverse chronological order while writing a resume. No matter how strong work experience you hold, your employer will always be interested to know your latest work achievements. Use reverse chronological order unless you are using a combination or functional resume format.
- Include recent and relevant work experiences only that highlight a work experience of 10-15 years at max.
- Use stories and examples to showcase your personality and illustrate your achievements.
- Avoid repeating the same type of information and do not use any generic statement. Be specific, clear, and to the point.
Showcase Your Abilities and Skills Creatively That Match The Job Requirements
Your skills and abilities and an asset for the company to help them grow further. This is why you must highlight your skills and abilities creatively. The better you present your skills and abilities, the higher your chances of cracking your dream job. To help you write your skills and abilities effectively, we have mentioned a few tips below. Go through them to write an effective professional resume. They are as follows:
- Skill section:
Note that this section is the most crucial as it gives the employer a detailed idea about your practical skills. Your skills can be anything from hard skills like professional knowledge to soft skills like teamwork or communication. To help you write a good skill section, we have shared a few tips below:
- Your skills are your greatest professional asset. Therefore you must show it in a way that the employer understands you have what it takes to succeed in the role. So it is best to use a table or a different section to show your skills.
Apart from creating a new section, how you present it also matters. Make sure, your presentation is mindful and neat. The best way to organize your skills is by grouping them into relevant categories like language skills, technical skills, or interpersonal skills.
- Don’t be generic about your skills. Add the ones that not only match the job type but also boost the value of your resume. Avoid adding any type of common or obvious skills like email or Microsoft Word.
- You can add evidence of your skills like any awards, certificates, or examples about how you have utilized your certain skills in the educational or work sector.
- Also indicate your level of expertise for each skill you add like beginner, intermediate, advanced, or proficient.
- Education section:
If you don’t have any solid work experience then you must utilize the education section to your advantage. In this section, you will have to add relevant educational details of yours like your minor, major, awards, GPA, and so on.
This section is very crucial who are mostly applying based on their specific certification or degree. We have provided some tips below for you that will help you create a proper education section.
- Always mention your highest or most recent degree at the beginning of your education section. Then continue adding the rest of the details about your education in reverse order.
- Mention your educational institute details like the name, location, degree you pursued from there, and date of graduation.
- You can also add any impressive specifications regarding your educational degree or background.
- If you are still studying and applying for a job, then do mention your expected date of graduation and your current degree status.
- If you have a higher degree, then don’t overload your education section with outdated information like a high school diploma.
How To Choose A Design For Your Resume?
Choosing a suitable resume design helps in making your resume look appealing to the eyes, makes it easy to read, and establishes professionalism. A well-designed resume can also boost your chance of passing the ATS that many hiring managers use to filter out and rank resumes. Therefore, to guide you in choosing a suitable and professional design for your resume, we have shared some tips below. Follow them to write an effective professional resume.
- Consider and know what identifies you.
Choose a resume design that reflects and highlights your skills, personality, and goals better. Research the type of fonts, colors, layouts, and icons you must use that suit your industry type and highlight your style.
- Stay up to date with the latest resume standards and trends
You must always update your resume irrespective of whether you are looking for a new job to apply for or not. This will help you stay in check with the latest resume standards and design trends.
- Stick to the industry norms
Your resume must have a design that is appropriate for the position and industry you wish to apply for. Different industries have different sets of preferences and criteria for resume design. Depending on the type of industry you wish to apply for, conduct a self-research to look for resume designs that are valid and acceptable.
- Select the right font
The font of your resume can have a major impact on how your resume feels and looks while reading. This is why use a font that is legible, clear, and consistent throughout the resume. Look for some samples of the font for your resume that compliments your resume’s style and tone.
- Set the margins
Next is to choose a margin for your resume that is proportional and balanced. Select a margin that is neat and does not make your resume crowded. Use margins that are compatible with the scanning and printing standards.
- Use visual elements
Make your resume look visually appealing by adding elements like bullets, suitable colors, and so on. Look for some samples to learn other suitable types of visual elements that you can add to your resume to make it look more attractive.
Best Way To Proofread and Send Your Resume Immediately
Your resume is the golden key that can help you unlock your dream job. The overall details and information you add to your resume convince the employers that you are the potential candidate for the job role. So, before you finally send the resume once you have completed it, you must ensure your resume is completely error-free and flawless.
If your resume has any spelling mistakes, typos, or grammatical errors, then it can destroy your chance of getting a call for an interview. Employers expect attention to detail and top-notch professionalism from their ideal candidates. So, if you overlook these factors on your resume, it will create a negative impression on your profile.
This is why proofreading your resume before sending it is a vital step that you should not skip. To help you proofread your resume better, in this section, we have shared with you some of the best ways. Follow these tips to avoid any common pitfalls and impress your hiring manager with a powerful and polished resume.
- How to proofread your resume?
To proofread your resume flawlessly, follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Use a trustworthy online tool that will help you check your grammar, spelling, and any punctuation errors.
- You can ask any professional from your field or industry to review your resume thoroughly and share honest feedback with you.
- Check for the layout, formatting, and design of your resume, Ensure that these factors on your resume are consistent and make it easy for the employer to read.
- Compare your resume with the job description provided by the company. This will help you ensure that you have added all the necessary list of achievements, skills, and other details using relevant keywords and/or phrases.
- How to send your resume?
Once you are done reviewing and proofreading your resume, follow the below steps to send your resume successfully.
- Before sending your resume, you must choose a file format. Choosing the right file format is necessary to establish professionalism. You can choose any of the file formats like DOCX, PDF, or TXT.
- Next is naming your resume file. The more you are careful with these crucial details, the better impression you can have about yourself on your potential employer. You can save the name of your resume file using the job title, your name, and the name of the company.
- No matter how powerful your resume is, it is not enough. If you have any other extra documents like your portfolio or cover letter do attach them with your resume. Supporting your resume with these documents can increase your chance of getting a call for an interview.
- Write a professional email and a brief message that introduces you. When you send your resume to the employer, it is important that you properly draft an email that explains why you are interested in the job role.
- Once you have drafted your email, review it thoroughly. Make sure your professional email is formal, error-free, concise, and polite.
- Finally, it is time to send your resume. However, it is advised that you send your email early in the week, during business hours. Your email is not the only email your employer will receive. There are tons of applications you are competing with.
Often a potential resume goes unnoticed due to sending it at the wrong time. So, when you send your email to your employer at the right time, there’s a high chance for you to expect a call within a week or two.
Final Thought
Writing a resume can be quite challenging irrespective of whether you are experienced or a professional. Different job roles and industries have different specifications that often make it difficult for applicants to understand the requirements and craft a resume. This is why we have brought this comprehensive guide, especially for you. In this post, we have covered every intricate detail about writing a good professional resume for guaranteed job success.
You can always use our guide to write a compelling resume that will ensure you ace the job successfully. Whether you are writing a resume for the first time, or need some extra guidance we have got it all covered in this post.
Faiz Alam is a dedicated career coach with a passion for helping individuals achieve their career dreams. He specializes in guiding professionals to reach their career goals, whether they’re looking to improve their job situation or find a new one in Dubai.
Faiz has years of experience in guiding professionals on their career journey, and assisting them with their resume writing, cover letters, and providing them with career advice.