How to write a good resume
Length of resume ò€“ If you are a fresher then one page resumes are best, but if you are one of those people who have too much to brag about even being a fresher then donò€™t exceed beyond two pages. Most preferable length of any resume is two pages; this keeps the employers interest in place without leaving in middle.Caution: Never ever exceed beyond 3 pages. Some people tend to attach their work sample etc within the resume, donò€™t do that. Instead make a sample portfolio file for work.
Fonts and styling ò€“ Donò€™t make yourself a laughing stock by using a funky font for resume. Stick to professional ones like Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Times Roman. Keep the fonts readable from naked eye, 10-12 font size is alright depending on type. I have seen some people use professional but slightly rare font for resume, donò€™t do that either. Stick to basic fonts that can be found on every computer, else it might distort the formatting of your word files.
Underline or Shade your headings. Tables can be used, but not excessively. Also please avoid using background images unless you are applying for an artistic job. Formatting the entire document properly is very important.
Spell check & Grammar ò€“ There is no bigger put off in a resume then wrong spellings and grammatical mistakes. It just shows your eye for details about anything. Always use spell and grammar check & get it proof read by some one else too.
Content ò€“ Donò€™t make your resume boring! Yes thatò€™s the first rule. You need to keep the person interested and the key to do that is to write things that interest the potential employer.
A little management jargon does not harm, but use of flowery words and euphemisms are a big cross in todayò€™s no nonsense work environment.
Donò€™t put down your experiences in a Task list way. For e.g. instead of writing ò€˜ Sent 100 marketing emails everydayò€™ write ò€˜Responsible for email marketing to generate leadsò€™
Itò€™s important to highlight your key achievements whether in previous jobs or Student life.
Highlight your expertise areas and present a well rounded personality.
Never put anything that is not true on the resume. Itò€™s not just an integrity issue but also if found out later, can put you into deep trouble. Try and include only those things in resume which you are well versed with. So for example if you like reading once in a while but donò€™t really remember much about it, then please donò€™t bother making it part of resume even if it sounds ò€˜intellectualò€™. You should be thorough with everything that is part of resume because that is where a lot of interview questions will generate from.
Make a PDF version of your resume, it looks much more professional then a word doc incase of emailing a soft copy. This will also take care of distortion of fonts or formatting due to different computer settings.
Remember, your resume is your first interaction with a potential employer and possibly your career path. Take as much time and help as you want before being satisfied with that piece of paper. The first foot forward has to be an impressive one this time.