Your resume is your first chance to make an impact, which is why it should be clear, concise and focused on your key strengths
With a crowd of people applying for the same job, the probability of success is limited. While sifting through dozens of resumes, the HR will only shortlist the best ones. This is why you need to focus on creating a highly professional resume. To get your employer's attention, here are some points to consider while making your resume.
Tweak your resume as per the job role - Every organization has a slightly different set of roles and responsibilities
for the same type of job. This is why you need to make some changes to your
resume based on the job description published by the company. This makes it
easier for the HR to identify you as a good option for that specific job role.
For example, a Marketing Manager job can cover various skills and experience
such as SEO, digital marketing, vendor coordination, event management, etc. But
if a company has specifically asked for digital marketing and SEO experience,
you need to mention it first and highlight it as well.
Keep it short and crisp - It is always better to use bullet points to showcase your skills
and experience. Even the description following the bullet points should be
crisp and concise. HR has just a few seconds to evaluate your resume. With
bullet points, you can provide a good 360° view of your professional capabilities.
Keeping the content short and crisp will also help reduce the number of pages
of your resume. In most cases, your resume should not be more than two pages.
Highlight major achievements - If you mention the general stuff, your resume will have largely
the same content as that of other candidates. To ensure that your resume stands
out, you need to highlight some of your major achievements. It can include some
of the big projects that you executed in your earlier organization. Provide a
short and clear title as well, so that the HR can quickly understand what you have
achieved.
Maintain proper chronology - It is important to mention your previous experience in reverse chronological
order. That means your most recent job should be mentioned first, followed by
other work experience in reverse chronological order. In most cases, the HR
will focus on your most recent job experience. This is why reverse chronology
is important when writing your resume. Mention the most important points first
and the least important ones at the last.
Do not deep dive into hobbies and other
personal pursuits - While organizations are looking
for well-rounded individuals, the focus always remains on the skills and experience
needed for the job. Anything else will be treated as secondary and optional.
You can write a bit about your hobbies and personal interests, but keep that
limited to a few sentences. Over emphasis on your hobbies and personal pursuits
may send the wrong signals to the HR.