Have you dreamed of working for a specific company or organization, or probably be employed in Forbes 500 company? The path to getting the right job that fits your passion and skills is not easy, to be honest, but the first step begins with creating the right resume.
In this article, we will be helping you write a detailed resume that will exponentially increase your chances of getting hired. We have provided some examples in Apple Pages that you can download for free. We have also listed some writing tips in regards to creating a resume. Check them out below!
Listed below are the elements of a resume. Make sure to include all the elements when you will be writing your own resume.
1. Work experience: Work experience is one of the most important elements of a resume. Employers usually look at an applicant’s work experience if they decide to let him or her proceed to the next step in the recruitment process. But work experience is not necessarily important especially for fresh graduates since normally they do not start working until they graduate. For those without work experience, you can take a look at fresher resumes as reference.
2. Technical skills and competencies: Employers will also be looking at an employee’s technical skills and competencies, as they are also an important factor in the recruitment process. Most employers actually focus on the technical skills and competencies of a job applicant since these skills are needed when working on daily tasks and activities. Technical skills are job-specific skills that require the use of equipment and software while competencies focus more on behavioral attributes. Check out some professional resumes if you are a seasoned applicant.
3. Educational background: Educational background is also an important element in the resume. Educational background pertains to the school or university in which the applicant went into and graduated. The inclusive dates when the applicant studied in the school or university (month and year) should definitely be listed in the resume.
4. Personal information: Personal information does not pertain to information such as your email passwords, bank ATM codes, or your Social Security number. Rather, personal information pertains to the your home address, name of your family members (siblings and parents), and hobbies or interests. Although it is not necessary to add personal information, you should still consider adding it just in case.
5. Character references: Character references are recommendations provided by individuals outside of work. In a resume, you simply can’t list down any person. The individuals you will be listing down in the resume should hold high positions in a company or organization (manager, supervisor, managing director, head officer, etc.). Most of the time, employers do not contact character references but this is not an excuse for you to write fake names and positions.
1. Try to limit resume in one page: When creating a resume, try to limit it in one page. You can extend the resume to two pages but that should be the maximum. No employer likes to read a lengthy resume. In actuality, they don’t fully read the resume as they only scroll the important details such as skills and work experience (to be discussed further below).
2. Insert photo in the first page: A resume is not complete without a photo. The photo helps validate the resume as resumes without photos of the applicant are almost immediately ignored immediately. The photo should be inserted in the first page right beside a short summary of the resume (full name, contact number, email address, career objective, etc.).
In regards to what photo to use, use a photo where you are wearing a business attire (i.e. suit and tie, polo shirt, or button-down shirt). A resume is a formal business document, so the photo you will be using should also be formal or business casual.
3. Focus on skills and work experience: As previously mentioned, you should limit your resume to one page. Incorporate the important information such as skills and work experience in the first page of the resume as employers will be looking at these information first. Do not write false information in regards to the skills and work experience as employers will find out immediately and your application will immediately be rejected.
List down character references in the second page: Although character references is an important element of a resume, it is not a priority. That is the reason you should place it in the second page of the resume if you can’t fit everything in the first page. Aside from the character reference, personal information should also be listed in the second page.
Choose from the paper sizes below when creating a resume.
Listed below are the types of resumes. Choosing the type of resume will depend on the information you input, and the following types of resumes found below will help you write the appropriate resume for your future job applications.
What is a resume?
A resume is a summary of a job applicant’s previous and current work experience, educational background, technical skills, and competencies. A resume is submitted by the said applicant to companies or organizations with the hope of gaining full-time or part-time employment.
How do you create a resume?
Follow these very easy steps in creating a resume: (1) gather the information to be written down, (2) gather a recent (yet formal or business casual) photo, (3) write the resume following a standard format, and (4) edit and revise if necessary.
Why is a resume important?
A resume is important because it is the first step for the job applicant to get a job. Before he or she gets a call for an interview or an exam, he first needs to submit a creative resume in which the said resume will still be reviewed by human resource personnel or other individuals who are running the recruitment operations of the company or organization.