How to Make a Resume

Learning how to make a resume absolutely invaluable. Every job advertisement attracts hundreds of applicants and the employers have the onerous task of sorting out the mountain of resumes to short list a few candidates they feel fit for the advertised position. From the job seekers point of view he or she has to make the perfect resume that will single them out of the hundreds of resumes and get them a personal interview with the potential employers. The employers are likely to spend only a few hours to short list the candidates for a personal interview. This means that you have less than a minute in which you have to grab the reader's attention and convince them to invite you for a personal interview. This will require you to have a resume that is attention grabbing and convincing at the same time.

So, how to make a resume that has the desired impact on the reader and results in a personal interview. Remember first impressions are very critical when it comes to hiring an individual and your resume has to present all your information in a clean uncluttered manner to impress the reader. The following tips will help you prepare a resume that is easy to read and packed with information potential employers would want to know.

The most important thing that you want to register with the potential employer is your contact details. It is advisable that you have all your contact details such as name, address, email, and phone numbers on all the pages of the resume. Remember your resume is a marketing document so use only professional sounding email address. Your resume should ideally be no more than two pages and have an uncluttered layout. Use lots of white space so that it is easy on the eye. Try and summarize all your skills, experiences and past achievements in those two pages without making the resume too wordy.

Ideal resume should have key sections such as Profile, Major achievements, Work experience, Educational qualifications, Skills, Personal details, and Interests.

This is perhaps the most important section of the resume. Make this section interesting without sounding bombastic. A well written profile will capture the reader's attention and compel him or her to read the resume. Keep the profile short, two or three sentences that mention your experience, major skills, and abilities. You may also include your career aspirations in this section.

Your profile will perform the function of a cover letter, so be conversational in tone and ensure that the language used reflects the profile of the position applied for.

Mention three or four major past achievements. Indicate the name of the company and your role in the achievement. Take care that you mention only those achievements that are genuinely yours and easily quantifiable. You may also mention achievements such as leading and motivating team members in achieving set goals and targets of your previous employers. Mention only those achievements that are relevant from the potential employer's perspective.

This section should have a detailed account of your career till date. Mention the companies you worked for in reverse chronological order. Include your responsibilities and achievements. Give details of the company such as ownership and turnover. Mention your job titles and a detailed account of your principal responsibilities. Focus on your most recent experiences in a language you find in job advertisements. Make sure you give an impression that you are result oriented and sincere.

Make a mention of your educational qualifications in reverse chronological order. Mention the names of the institutions you attended and the year of passing. You may also mention any part-time professional courses you are pursuing. Mention membership of relevant professional associations.

Relevant skills like IT or languages may be mentioned in this section. However, mention only those skills that may be relevant to the potential employer.

Make sure your resume is error free and concise. Take a print out on good quality paper and send the resume with a skillfully written cover letter.

Hope these few tips will give you a basic idea on how to make a resume that will grab the reader's attention and give you a competitive edge in securing a personal interview.

Good Luck.