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A comprehensive list of actionable steps to help you write your most successful resume.

Formatting

1. Consistency in fonts, dates, alignment and spacing –

Be consistent in your use of bold, italics, underlines, date formats, font sizes and bullets.

2. Simple template –

Go simple, remember, the content is the most important part of your resume. It's important that your resume templates are optimized for ATS.

3. Simple font –

Use a simple machine-readable font (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial). In 2021, pretty much all companies use automated systems like an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to parse your resume. A generic intersystem font wll ensure your resume is parsed correctly. Use a font size between 10-12

4. One page resume –

A good rule of thumb is to keep your resume to one page if you have less than 5-10 years of relevant experience or two pages if you have more than 10 years of experience.

Structure

1. If you're in college or a recent graduate, structure your resume like this:

-Name, Personal Information, Education, Work Experience, Leadership / Extra-curricular Activities, Additional Info (Skills, Languages, Interests)

2. If you're an Experienced Hire, structure your resume like this:

-Name, Personal Information, Work Experience, Projects/Activities (Optional), Education, Additional Info (Skills, Languages, Interests)

3. Remove these unnecessary items from your resume:

-Photo: You are not being judged on how you look. Some companies even auto reject resumes with a photo.

-References (or 'References available upon request'): This just wastes a line. Employers will ask you directly if they ever need to contact your references.

-Personal information like religion, marital status, ethnicity, age, gender

Education

1. Include all colleges/institutions you've attended, along with your major, minor and graduation year
2. Include your GPA if it's above 3.0 out of 4
3. If your school uses a different scale (e.g. out of 10), convert it to the standard 4.0 scale. If you choose to list your in-major GPA instead of your cumulative GPA, specify that it's your in-major GPA

Here's a typical example of an education section.

Work Experience

1. Use Action Verbs
   1. Start each bullet point with an Action-oriented word (e.g. Developed, managed, etc) in past tense
2. Quantify each bullet point

Wherever possible, you should quantify each of your accomplishments by using numbers. Here's an example of a good resume line:

Managed a process re-engineering project to improve and consolidate end-to-end service processes; restructured communication flow among 10 departments, and cut down paperwork by 75%

Notice how the applicant has quantified the result of his work by using ‘cut down paperwork by 75%’ and '10 departments'. Other ways to quantify your lines include “reduced cost by 15%”, “reduced the need for 3 FTEs”, “reduced process time by 20 hours/week”, “increased revenue by $5,000”

3. Use reverse chronological order for your jobs -Your current or most recent job should appear first.

4. Ensure each line is accomplishment oriented, not responsibilities oriented -

Read each line on your resume. Make sure you are not just listing your responsibilities. Instead, ensure each bullet point focuses on your accomplishments and the impact you had; action words and quantified results help you do this. This is your resume, not a job description.

this is a poor example of a resume line:

Responsible for the coordinated management of multiple related projects directed toward strategic business and other organizational objectives

It’s simply not specific and does not demonstrate enough impact or core skills. It fits more into a job description than a resume.

5. within each job, organize your bullets by importance and relevance

Your first bullet point should either describe your most impactful experience at the company, or the experience that is most relevant to the job you are applying to.

6. Include your company name, positions held, plus a short description where necessary

If your company name may be unknown to your target employer, use a short line to describe it

7. Include keywords to get past resume screening software and ATS

Large companies often rely on applicant tracking systems (ATS) to help filter resumes, before they even get into a recruiter's hands. These systems work by scanning resumes for keywords, numbers and key phrases, sending only the most qualified ones through for human review. To ensure you get past these automated systems, include verb phrases and skills written in the job description on your own resume. Don't go overboard, though. It's really easy for a recruiter to tell when you've simply filled your resume with keywords that aren't effective in the context of your resume.

8. Demonstrate skill sets relevant to the job you are applying to
9. Use the past tense as much as possible

Your resume should contain achievements of things you've already done, which means you should use the past tense as much as possible. You can also use the present tense for some bullet points, but keep it to the minimum.

Projects, Extra-curricular or Leadership Experiences

1. Include projects, extra-curricular or leadership experiences that are relevant to your role

Particularly if you're in college or a recent graduate, you can use this section to describe additional experiences, like leadership activities, volunteering work or university projects. Change the name of the section depending on what you list.

2. Ensure each line is accomplishment oriented

The same advice that we mentioned in the Work Experience section goes for this section too. Each bullet point should focus on your accomplishments and the impact you had; action words and quantified values help you do this.

Additional Information 

3. Include languages, technical skills, professional societies / memberships /Interests;

it can vary based on what you are trying to showcase. Interviewers often use your interests as small talk to start the interview.

Here's a typical example of a simple Additional Information section

Final things before you send your resume

4. Tailor your resume based on the industry and company

For example, don't use the exact same resume for both marketing and finance job applications.

5. Upload it in PDF format

This ensures your layout will be consistent for all viewers.

Use FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf (or similar) as the filename.

6. Don't use:

Adverbs: Don't use adverbs like 'skilfully' or 'effectively' to describe accomplishments. Quantify them instead.

Personal pronouns: Instead of 'I managed a team of 5...', say 'Managed a team of 5...'.

7. Add your email and phone number at the top - Include it in the header, right under your name.