Your resume is one of the first impressions a recruiter sees of you. That’s why your resume must be flawless. However, writing a professional resume is not easy.
Nowadays, there are plenty of resume builders online which can help you with the looks of your CV, such as:
Nonetheless, the content of your resume is equally as important!
This article will help you to create a professional CV that will impress any recruiter.
What is a resume?
A resume is a clear formatted summary of your skills, educational qualifications, talents, and work experience. Additionally, it is rather a sales brochure than a list of facts about yourself. The purpose of a resume is to show the recruiter that in your absence, you are a suitable candidate for the job.
Evidently, do not lie on your resume as there will be consequences if you get caught.
Contents of a Professional Resume
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Personal Information
Personal information is located at the top of your document. This part contains:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Nationality
- Phone number, international dialing code, example: +32 123 123 23
- Email address, use a clear, professional address that contains your name. Not: cowboy1862@mail.com
- Residential address
- Photograph (optional)
If you are staying in a country with a working visa, it is best to mention this as well. This can be of interest to the company as they might need to take extra measures when employing you.
Print your resume in black and white to see if the photo works in that setting as the recruiter might not use coloured prints.
Make sure this information is correct! You don’t want to miss out on your dream job because your email address was spelt wrong.
Example:
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Educational Qualifications
Educational qualifications should be mentioned in reverse chronological order. The newest at the top and the oldest at the bottom. Also, be specific when describing your education as the recruiter might not understand what you did during your years in college.
Bachelor’s in International Marketing
Master’s in International Marketing (Graduation: 2021)
Significant coursework in Market Analysis, SEM, and Video Marketing
Bachelor’s in International Marketing (Graduation: 2019)
Thesis on Increasing brand awareness online
When applying for your first job, educational qualifications might be of more significance than work experience.
When adding the details to your educational qualifications, slightly adapt your resume according to the job you are applying for. This is possible by adding suitable details that fit the open position. For example, when applying for a job in HR, it can be smart to mention coaching and social skills.
Example:
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Work experience
Like in the previous paragraph, you should start with the most recent work experiences at the top of your list. Again, add details as the job title is not clear enough. The recruiter expects you to add the following:
- Job Title
- Relevant dates
- Company name
- Your duties on the job
- Your achievements
- Skills acquired during the job that could benefit the company
Try to position yourself as the recruiter. Think about what skills and experiences are wanted for the job. Then adjust your resume as we discussed above.
Example:
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Skills
IT skills are of more importance than ever before. Therefore, showing you have prior experience with hardware/software is certainly an asset.
Language skills describe how fluent you are in certain languages. You can describe your skills level as native, fluent, fair, basics, … Also mention if you lived abroad or if you have taken any language courses. Be careful with the language level you choose as they might test you during the interview.
Example:
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Additional information
Additional information should contain any value that has allowed you to acquire qualities that are appreciated in the workplace. This can be strategic thinking, coaching, and so on. However, avoid including large lists of activities that are irrelevant to the position you're applying for. Note that you can adjust your resume in this part as well.
Example:
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References
References are contact details of former employers whom the recruiters may contact for additional insight. Always explicitly ask those former employers if you may mention their contact details on your resume.
To stand out
Make sure that:
- Your resume should be pleasant to look at
- Apply proper grammar, make use of tools such as Grammarly
- It doesn’t contain blocks of text
- Maximum of 2 pages (A4)
- Simple to read, no difficult language or long sentences
- Use Standard Keywords, “Supervisor” is more recognizable than “Overseeing a group of people”
Print on good quality paper to stand out amongst all the other resumes.
If you apply all these steps and tips, recruiters will be eager to interview you!
include your name, date, and title in the footer of each page of your resume.
e.g. John Smith Curriculum Vitae 12/02/2022
Special thanks to
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Lin, L., Hughes, S., & Rollo, C. (2020). Curriculum Vitae/Resume. In English for Business & Economics 3: Business Communication (pp. 6–12). essay, Universitas.
Other used sources:
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Gallo, A. (2020, December 23). How to Write a Résumé That Stands Out. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://hbr.org/2014/12/how-to-write-a-resume-that-stands-out
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Kuligowski, K. (2019, August 30). Tips for Creating a Great Resume. Business News Daily. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/3207-resume-writing-tips.html
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Doyle, A. (2019, November 20). Tips for Writing an Exceptional Resume. The Balance Careers. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-resume-writing-tips-2063314