A CV or resume is a concise document that provides a snapshot of your skills, experiences, and qualifications. It’s your first impression to potential employers and a key tool in your job search arsenal. We’ll walk you through a structured guide to help you draft a compelling resume. Let’s get started!
Understanding the purpose of a resume
Before diving into the specifics, it's essential to understand the purpose of a resume. Your resume is a tool to secure interviews. It should present your skills and experiences in a way that is compelling and relevant to the job you’re applying for. Every section should be designed to highlight your qualifications and make you stand out to recruiters. Think of your resume as a sales document: you need to sell your potential and fit for the company.
Understanding ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems)
Before you begin drafting your resume, it’s crucial to understand the role of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These systems are used by companies to streamline the hiring process by filtering and ranking resumes based on specific criteria.
Why is ATS important?
If your resume isn’t compatible with ATS, it might never be seen by a human recruiter. ATS software can struggle with complex formatting like tables, headers, footers, and non-standard fonts.
Testing your resume template: To check if your resume is ATS-friendly, copy and paste the text into a blank text file. If it appears scrambled or repetitive, your format isn't suitable.
Pro tip
Consider using resume builders or Google Docs templates that are designed to be ATS-friendly. Here are some resume builders and Google Docs templates you can use:
While resume builders can be helpful, they sometimes include watermarks or charge for premium services. Additionally, some resume builders might be limited to only one resume per account and don't allow further changes, restricting your flexibility. We recommend using Google Docs for its free, straightforward, and ATS-friendly templates to ensure your resume is seen by potential employers and gives you better control.
Outline your CV
Let’s break down the essential sections of your resume. Each section serves a specific purpose and together they provide a comprehensive picture of your professional journey.
Writing the CV
Focus on the Employer
When drafting your resume, always keep the employer's needs in mind. They aren't hiring you for what you've done in the past, but for what you can do for them. Here are some important points to consider:
Use the "glory formula": Focus on the company first and build your resume backwards. Address their needs and how you can meet them.
Avoid the "I just" syndrome: Avoid underselling your achievements with phrases like "I just". Instead, be confident and clear about your contributions and skills.
Tailor your story: You have a unique story, but it’s important to tell the right story. Highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for.
1. Header and contact information
This is where you make it easy for potential employers to contact you, identify the roles you're targeting and provide access to relevant links to see your work or expand on your background. Here’s what to include:
Customize the header to include the job title you are applying for, as listed in the job advertisement.
Include your email address and, if the job is local, your phone number. For international or remote positions, you may choose to omit the phone number to avoid potential bias.
Add hyperlinks to your LinkedIn profile, GitHub, or any other professional portfolios. If possible, anchor the link to the text instead of writing the full URL.
Avoid sharing personal details such as birthdate, nationality, religion, marital status or personal identification numbers to protect your privacy and prevent potential discrimination. In some cases, it's advisable to avoid sharing your location as well, especially if you're open to remote work or willing to relocate, as it prevents potential bias based on your current geographic location. Focus on your skills and experience instead.
2. Professional summary
The summary is your first impression on the recruiter. It's a brief encapsulation of your professional journey. Here’s what to include:
Emphasize the total years of relevant experience you've gathered (this is important even if you’re transitioning from a different industry).
Highlight your key skills and aspirations, aligning them with the roles you are aiming for.
Mention how your past roles contribute unique perspectives and skills relevant to the position.
Sometimes recruiters will just read the summary before they decide to move on to the rest of the document, so it’s crucial to make it strong and relevant.
3. Experience
Your professional experience section is where you showcase what you’ve done and how you’ve contributed in previous roles. This is often the most scrutinized part of a resume and typically the most important section, making it the protagonist of your resume. Highlight your achievements, responsibilities, and the impact you’ve made in each position to demonstrate your value to potential employers. Here’s how to present your experience:
Avoid presenting information in paragraph form. Bullet points make it easier for recruiters to scan your resume quickly. Aim for 3-5 bullets per role. Each bullet should:
Start with a strong action verb.
Specify the task or skill you applied (soft or hard).
Describe the long-term impact or result of your work.
Include numbers to quantify the impact of your work (e.g., metrics/figures). This makes your accomplishments more compelling and provides concrete evidence of your capabilities.
Highlight transferable skills that are relevant to the new role; especially if you’re reskilling or transitioning from a different field.
Use reverse chronological order and list your most recent experience first. This provides a clear and logical flow, making it easier for recruiters to follow your professional journey and understand the context of your experience.
If the same tasks were done in different jobs, try to highlight different tasks to avoid repetition. This saves space and adds more value to your resume.
Ensure that all bullet points in your resume are written in the correct tense. Consistency in verb tense helps to present information accurately and professionally. Use present tense for current tasks if you are currently working in that role, and past tense for tasks you are no longer doing.
If you're a recent graduate with little to no prior professional experience, you can highlight relevant academic projects, internships, and volunteer work that demonstrate your skills and potential value to employers
4. Skills
The skills section is where you list specific tools and software you are proficient in, which are critical for the roles you’re targeting. This section helps ATS and recruiters quickly see if you have the technical abilities needed for the job. Here’s how to effectively present your skills:
Include specific tools, software, programming languages, and other technical skills relevant to the job. Tailor this list to match the requirements mentioned in the job description.
Highlight soft skills that are important for the role and align with what is mentioned in the job description.
If you've incorporated soft skills seamlessly into your experience bullets, there's no need to repeat the information here.
Consider categorizing your skills for clarity and better organization.
Only include skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Avoid generic skills that don’t add value to your application.
Avoid self-rating skills, as it can be subjective and may not accurately reflect your proficiency. Recruiters might misinterpret self-ratings, and anything less than perfect can make your skills appear weaker. Instead, list your skills without ratings to present a more professional image and optimize resume space.
5. Education and certifications
Your education section showcases your academic background and any relevant coursework or projects that can bolster your qualifications. Here’s what to consider:
Mention relevant coursework, especially if it can help ATS scan for keywords related to the roles you’re targeting. However, if you've already integrated this information seamlessly into other parts of the resume (like the skills section or experience bullets), it's not necessary to repeat it here.
Mention your average grades if they are good.
Showcase projects or achievements that directly relate to the job, especially if you don’t have prior hands-on relevant experience in the field. This can demonstrate your applicable knowledge and skills.
6. Projects (Optional)
Including a separate project section can be beneficial, especially if this is your first job or you want to compensate for the lack of prior field experience. Projects can demonstrate hands-on experience and your ability to apply your skills to real-world problems. Here’s what to include:
Ensure that you provide a solid description for each project. When describing your projects, include the following:
What problem did it help solve?
Why was it effective at doing so?
Consider adding URLs to project repositories if they are hosted on platforms like GitHub. This allows recruiters to directly view your work.
If relevant coursework or projects have been integrated into other sections, ensure consistency and avoid repetition to maintain a concise and focused resume.
Finalizing your resume
The final touches on your resume can make a big difference in how it’s received. Here’s how to ensure your resume is polished and professional: