¹General Information

◼︎ Read the job ad carefully.

◼︎ Always tailor your resume to the job in question.

◼︎ Use an online resume builder instead of a text editor, or start out with a resume template.

◼︎ Use verifiable metrics wherever possible because hard numbers catch the eye of recruiters.

◼︎ Focus only on the most important content. Try to fit everything on two pages or fewer.

◼︎ Pick the right resume format: A Functional resume, a Chronological resume, or a Combination resume (if you have experience across different industries).

◼︎ The reverse-chronological resume, where the latest work experience is listed first, is the most popular format.

Design and Layout

◼︎ To make a good first impression, ensure that the layout is pleasing and the content is scannable and easy to read.

◼︎ Balance text with whitespace.

◼︎ Use classic fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana, Calibri, Cambria, Helvetica, and Georgia.

◼︎ Don't choose anything less than 10.5 for the font size. A font size of 12 is ideal.

◼︎ Use font sizes 14-16 for section headers.

◼︎ Pick a font that reads well on all screens. Legibility and cleanliness are important.

◼︎ If you can, choose sans serif fonts like Arial over serif fonts like Times New Roman. The former are more legible on screens.

◼︎ Avoid big blocks of text and excessive bullet points.

◼︎ Ensure that sections flow from the most significant to the less important.

Contact Information

◼︎ Place your name and contact information at the top of the document.

◼︎ The font for the name should be larger than the font used in the body, but not so large as to overpower the other elements on the page.

◼︎ Don’t place contact information in the header/footer.

◼︎ Use a home address rather than a PO box or an office address.

◼︎ List one phone number. A mobile phone number is ideal.

◼︎ Use an email address that sounds professional.

◼︎ Place social media icons and URL links to relevant social media pages.

◼︎ Include a link to your LinkedIn profile (if you have one) and ensure that the profile is up to date.

◼︎ Include the URL of a personal website that highlights your expertise.

◼︎ To avoid possible age discrimination at the onset of hiring, avoid mentioning your date of birth unless that information is mandatory.

◼︎ Don't include a profile photo.

Job Summary

◼︎ This section is ideal if you have years of relevant job experience. Skip this section if you have less experience or applying for a job in another field.

◼︎ Highlight your current professional title with a larger font at the top of the section.

◼︎ Write an objective statement that describes a future goal. This is not mandatory.

◼︎ Outline your skills and accomplishments to demonstrate what:
1. Distinguishes you from other applicants
2. Makes you the ideal candidate for the role

◼︎ Highlight skills that are relevant to the role offered.

◼︎ Use the Adjective + Skill + Value formula to frame achievements in bulleted sentences.

Core Skills

◼︎ This section focuses on the skills you’ve gained based on the job roles you’ve performed in the past.

◼︎ Some job roles like programming demand hard technical skills while some like teaching ask for a mix of both hard and soft skills.

◼︎ Exploit the keywords in the target job descriptions and correlate them to your skillsets.

◼︎ Use topical nouns instead of vague verbs to highlight skills and boost recognition by ²ATS.

◼︎ Cover both hard skills and soft skills. For example, a Project Manager can list "Conflict resolution" as a soft skill.

◼︎ List hard skills with experience levels (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert.)

Work Experience

◼︎ If you’re going by the most common resume format, arrange entries by date, with the latest job at the top.

◼︎ For each entry, mention the relevant job title, employer name, location, and job tenure (with start and end dates.)

◼︎ Use the mm/yyyy format while listing dates. It’s the standard format expected by recruiters and applicant tracking systems.

◼︎ Expand on the most critical jobs with a bulleted list of roles and accomplishments.

◼︎ Mention key metrics for every experience. Example 1: Generated over $25,000 in sales in one month (instead of Managed sales through self-generated leads.)
 Example 2: Developed and executed marketing strategy for three new national projects. Increased market penetration by an average of 35%.

◼︎ Some roles may not be quantifiable. In such cases, it’s okay to mention only responsibilities.

◼︎ Don’t duplicate the information from the Summary and Core Skills sections. Use unique phrasing.

Education

◼︎ This section can follow the Summary section for new graduates or for jobs with highly relevant educational requirements.

◼︎ Include educational qualifications, complete with the school/university name, location, degree earned, and the course dates.

◼︎ Mention extra qualifications, certifications, and training under relevant sub-sections if necessary.

◼︎ Include GPA/Class Rank if among the top-half of the class. This information is not mandatory.

Other Details

◼︎ Awards List awards in the Education section under a sub-heading.

◼︎ Hobbies These are not necessary in most applications, but they’re also not a dealbreaker. Include them if other details are sparse. Don’t include inappropriate and commonplace hobbies like reading.

◼︎ References Don’t mention these unless specifically asked for.

Tips for Compatibility With ²ATS

◼︎ Keep the resume structure simple.

◼︎ Avoid fancy/creatively designed resumes and resume templates.

◼︎ Use an ATS-friendly resume template when you don't want to design from scratch.

◼︎ Use simple headers and consistent formatting across all sections.

◼︎ For entries with dates, preface dates with descriptions, such as work experience or academic qualifications.

◼︎ The ATS is programmed to read specific keywords, so scan the job ad for potential keywords you can use.

◼︎ Use concise bullet points instead of full paragraphs.

◼︎ Spell out any abbreviations so the ATS can understand them.

◼︎ Submit the file in the format specified. (ATS reads Word formats better than PDF.)

◼︎ Use Jobscan to enhance your resume for ATS.

Final Round of Editing

◼︎ Always proofread for spellings and other errors.

◼︎ Double-check your contact information.

◼︎ Remove all fluff and keep the resume concise.

◼︎ Print the resume and check for design issues.

◼︎ Save a copy of the resume as a PDF for future use. (Word can mess up the formatting across different computer systems.)

◼︎ Back up a copy of the resume to the cloud so you can access it from anywhere.

¹This covers tips that apply to all kinds of resumes. ²ATS refers to Applicant Tracking System. Many companies use this software as the first screen to filter the flood of resumes.