Before diving into the topic, here are some interesting stats which will probably blow your mind:
1. Google receives whopping 2 Million resumes every year and that number is increasing every year.
2. The average time spent on each resume is around 45 to 60 seconds.
That means you have to impress the recruiter in less than a minute
Given the rise of stiff competition, lesser time spent on each resume, it is highly important to have a resume that reflects you, your qualifications and your strengths. A good resume wins half the battle for you.
Now, let’s see 6 tips to make a ‘perfect’ resume.
1. One Page Resume
Almost every recruiter encourages a one-page resume over a multi-page resume. They usually do not have time to go through every part of the resume and it is a time-consuming process. So, prepare a one-page resume excluding all those parts which do not help you pass the resume screening. Keep it short and sweet.
For instance, hobbies do not help you much in resume screening so, it’s better to remove that from resume.
2. Numbers are the game changers
Don’t just write down your previous experience, job roles. Instead, tell the recruiter what you have done in your previous job, project(s). This helps the recruiter assess your potential.
Case 1: Built an XYZ application
Case 2: Built an XYZ application which improves the loading efficiency by x% which reduces cost by z%
Case 2 impresses the recruiter on the spot. Numbers, percentages, quantifying elements always attract the attention of the recruiter.
3. Keywords
In the age of AI, companies started using machines for resume screening. Use more and more keywords to pass the AI. This also helps you in a normal scenario, the keywords tell the recruiters that you’re well versed with industry terms and jargon – which is a plus.
4. Projects speak for you
The majority of the job seekers are fresh out of the college or have zero prior job experience – which is a disadvantage over the experienced folk. But, your projects can make up for that. Make sure you put up your very best projects on the resume, describing their rich functionality briefly. Good projects => Good impression.
5. Proof Reading
Having an impressive resume doesn’t impress the recruiters when your resume has spelling mistakes, typos, unwanted spaces, misalignments. Put in the time to go through your resume to make sure there are no grammatical, structural errors. These errors may send a wrong message that you’re lazy.
Well, we have come to the last tip. This time, I will tell you what NOT to do with your resume.
6. The NO-NO part
NEVER lie. Surveys revealed that over 30% (that’s a lot) of the applicants lie on their resume. This will only mess up things badly one day. The lies may backfire sometimes and chances are that you will be blacklisted by many companies even though you didn’t apply to them (recruiters usually know each other quite well). Do NOT take any chances.
Honorary mentions some tips:
Use Bullet points. Use a standard font. Do not use ‘I’, ‘We’. Go through standard templates. Update resumes regularly. Make different standard resumes for different purposes. It’s better to include your GPA if it is greater than 3.0. Mention the most recent, relevant information first. Send PDF format of your format instead of Doc format. Name your resume ‘Firstname_Lastname_Resume’ which helps the recruiters, company personnel in sorting out and working with your resume. Do not include photos. Do not over decorate. Make sure your e-mail, info is correct which can lead to great havoc if the info is wrong and the communication is sent to the wrong email.
You should proofread your article again – especially tips #2 and #6.