All the secrets of writing a good resume

A good resume is a must when looking for a job, especially when there are many candidates applying for the same position. What should be written in it?

There is no perfect resume template, and in different situations it may be necessary to emphasize different aspects of it, whether it is education or work experience. If you are writing a resume for a specific job, it must be specific to that position.

Read five or six similar ads and match their requirements. Do some research to understand what employers need.

If you are just looking for a job and sending out a resume to employment agencies, then it should be as detailed and detailed as possible.

One way or another, there are several general rules and principles for how a resume should be written and what information should be included in it.

First of all, it should be short - no more than two A4 pages, preferably numbered.

It should clearly and objectively describe your achievements and strengths and create a positive impression of you.

So, let's look at what a resume includes:

Header

It should be noted that in Britain, a resume is called curriculum vitae (CV), translated from Latin - "the course of life." In the USA and Canada, CV is used more often in academia and is a really detailed and comprehensive description of the candidate's professional life (I remember the "Autobiography" that was required to be filled out in the personnel department during the Soviet years). For a regular resume, the term résumé is used.

Personal details

Be sure to include your name, address and contact details - phone, email.

Whether to indicate gender, age, marital status and nationality is up to you. The employer must evaluate your skills and abilities without this information.

Objective

Please indicate which position you are applying for with a code (if available), for example: Software Tester (ST15/4).

Brief information (Profile / Summary)

Describe your strengths - skills, personal qualities, achievements, work experience (briefly). Here you can also indicate your career goals (in the USA, this item is given great attention).

Help should take no more than a few lines and immediately attract attention. For example, if the position requires constant work with people, you can indicate that you are able to work in a team and have good communication skills. Be concise - you can give examples in later sections.

Employment history / Work experience

If you have a lot of experience, start with this section. If you don't have enough experience yet, write about your education first.

It is recommended to start with the most recent job and work backwards. Indicate the name of the organization, period of work, position and your main responsibilities. Describe in more detail the work that is relevant to the current vacancy, give examples of the application of your skills, mention achievements. Use bulleted lists for readability.

Try to emphasize the relevance of your skills and experience to the specified vacancy. Also mention any temporary or volunteer work if relevant.

Avoid unexplained gaps in your employment history. If you have been traveling for a long time, looking for a job, or taking care of a relative, please indicate this.

Education

Likewise, start with the last one and work backwards. List the schools, colleges, universities you attended, and the dates you received your diplomas and/or degrees. Mention seminars, trainings, refresher courses if they are relevant to the job. For registration, use a bulleted list or table.

Also here you can describe your hobbies, interests and achievements related to work, but this is not necessary.

How to talk about your education

Interests and achievements

For example, if you are a member of a club or society, this may show that you enjoy meeting new people. You should not write that you like to cook or read books - these are too general hobbies that are not of interest to the employer. Specify only specific and important.

Additional information

You can include this section in your resume if you need to add something else - for example, to explain a long break in employment due to travel or family reasons. This can also include other skills that may be useful, such as the ability to drive a car or knowledge of foreign languages.

List the people who can give you a recommendation. It is desirable that at least one of them is related to your previous place of work. If you have not worked anywhere yet, indicate the teacher or the person under whose supervision you had an internship.

If you do not want to immediately provide the contact details of other people, you can limit yourself to the phrase: References: available upon request(“Recommendations available upon request”).

CV preparation

Resume writing plays a huge role. It should be simple, strict and from the very first second create an impression of you as a professional. Use a standard, well-read font and clear sectioning. The design style should be the same everywhere.

Check and recheck the correctness of the written text. Spelling and grammatical errors are the fastest way to get rejected.

In addition to the resume, it is recommended to write a cover letter ( cover letter), it will help you to attract the attention of the employer. In the letter, indicate why you are interested in this particular vacancy, provide brief information about yourself, describe your advantages as a candidate. The length of the letter should not exceed half a page.