Top things to remember while building a resume before applying for a job

A job is every person’s life goal and dream. Surviving in today’s world without a stable job is impossible and without earning any money, life would be that of an individual who has to bear the constant tantrums of family members and society that” he/she is unemployed”, “such a loser” and the worst of them all- “despite of being an educated and highly qualified individual, he/she could not get a job”. 

People often commit mistakes while they are applying for a job and there could be various reasons- untimely application, interview dates getting postponed or communication gap between the recruiter and the applicant. Candidates must be careful in one area where a single mistake is not at all accepted- is their resume. 

It does not matter whether you are a fresher or an experienced professional, your resume is often a pathway towards your dream job and a bright future that you have always dreamt of. Resumes are often an opportunity to prove yourself and your skills so that your recruiter can say that, “Yes; you are the one we have been looking for.”

There are few guidelines given below where you can follow to build a professional resume before applying for your dream job.

1. Appropriate Information

The information that you provide must be accurate and up to date. The information which is of concern is your education, your extra-curricular activities, your achievements or job experiences. Keeping it up to date is important because your recruiter would like to know what you have been doing throughout your educational life and professional life. It is often a record that tells people more about you than you can talk about yourself. Keep in mind to keep and in practice when you are applying for any job.

2. Keep it clean always

Cleanliness is a sign of professionalism and it should reflect in your resume as well.  Adding information means to add relevant and useful information for your recruiters not which has no importance to your job or your skillset. Try to add some white space in your resume so that what you have added is visible and clear to your future recruiters and if necessary, visit the Internet to see how you can design a resume professionally and attract attention. 

3. Avoid grammatical mistakes as much as possible

Grammar is an essential part for effective communication and an important aspect of every language. When you are building your resume, try to make the best usage of your grammatical skills and rhetorical devices. The writings of your professional life should be fluent and without any error. Remember, the person who is reviewing your resume is an observer of impeccable detection and there are hardly any chances that any mistake can escape his/her sight. The presence of good grammar indicates that you have good communication skills and you are a perfect fit for the organisation. 

A slight mistake can create a huge nuisance and will give the recruiter a wrong impression that they are viewing the resume of an illiterate or a retard. Revise your resume before submitting to any job interviews. 

4. Clear photograph is mandatory

A photograph is necessary to be added in your resume so that the recruiter can identify you without any difficulty. If the current photo in your resume is old or outdated, it is advisable that you visit a good photographer in your locality and take a photo in formals. Try to communicate with your photographer that the photo he is intending to take must be clear because you are applying for a job. If necessary, tell him to give the image of yours so that you can also apply for other future interviews. 

5. Create sections for different levels of information

Compartmentalization is a good way of organizing information in your resume because it looks much more organized and better to view it. Use headers to signify what information you have added in your resume such as basic information, contact details, skills, work experience, hobbies and others. Scattered information looks ugly and pointless but once it is organized under one roof, it gains meaning and acceptance to those who are seeing it. When adding something into your resume, decide first where you want to add it.

6. Mentioning soft-skills

Hard skills are already there in you because you have spent a significant amount of time acquiring them through education and years of work experience. Soft skills are something which is inborn and you have to learn through various experiences and hardships from life. Adding soft skills like team player, organizing or professionalism can make your resume stand out of the crowd. Companies nowadays are looking for people who have good soft skills whether they are a fresher or an experienced person. If you have these skills, feel free to add them. 

7. Style statement is necessary

A resume should not be a piece of paper where you are sending to companies for reviewing and applying for jobs. It should have some sense of style in it and when it comes to style, there are no better options than using fonts that not only look professional but are also pleasant to the eye. Arial, Calibri and Times New Roman are among those few fonts which can be used to enhance the style of your resume. Choose the size of your chosen between 10 to 12 points to keep the resume compact as possible. 

8. Storytelling your work experience

You may have your work experience or internship experience letter or certificates. Now what to do next? Try adding your experiences during those time periods of things that you have done such as handling a project, running a promotional campaign for that company, achieving the goals set up by the company as per your skills and caliber. These kinds of activities are moments that defined you to this point and made you the person that you are today. Feel confident and without hesitation, say your side of the story to the world.