The employment market is a very competitive one. Your resume has to stand out in order to create a favourable impression with a decision maker.
To ensure that your resume is working to give you the best opportunity of a face to face interview, it is essential that it provides accurate and concise information in a format that is easy to read, and from which the relevant details can be accessed quickly.
Resume preparation tips
- Contact details
Provide your full name, telephone number and email address (Be cautious about work telephone numbers).
- Format
– Try to keep your resume to 2 page and include your name on each page.
– Maintain the same formatting throughout the entire resume. This improves ease of reading, as well as making it easier for the reader to find all relevant information.
- Personal information to exclude
Leave out personal information such as race, religion, hobbies, marital status, children, etc.
- Achievements
Include information about your awards and any significant personal or professional achievements.
- Education
List degrees, relevant training courses, honours or scholarships or study in order of completion and include the dates and institutions in which they were completed.
- Work History
– Start with your most recent position first, document your work history accurately, record start and finish dates. Ensure that the reader is not confused by overlapping dates.
– Provide position title and detail your daily activity. Place the most relevant details first.
– If the position was a short term, or one with no relevance to the position you’re applying for, record limited information.
– Provide real examples of where your skills have brought about positive results for the company in each role.
- Additional skills
List other areas of competencies such as computer software used, languages spoken, licenses held, professional memberships.
- Spelling & Grammar
– Thoroughly check for spelling and grammatical errors and have someone else check over it too if possible.
– Do not use abbreviations or slang terms.