As a kid, if someone would have told me that some content written on a piece of paper will determine my future, I would have laughed them off; however, that has become my reality today. A resume is that golden piece of paper that will make your first impression for you, while a small flaw can put you off the list.

It is extremely crucial to draft a resume that reflects your personality and professionalism. Professionalism is one of the most vital skills that an employer is looking for in an employee. With knowledge of – what to add, highlight, and omit, you can get any job that you desire.

Here are a few tips on how to create a professional resume:

• Keywords are the key

Have you heard about ATS? Well, most people do not. It is an applicant tracking system used by employers to shortlist resumes of potential employees. They don’t have time to read every resume and analyze because they have hundreds to go through, hence this technology saves a lot of their precious time.

So how it works? It finds keywords that are the same- both in your resume and in the job posting. Doing so, the employer selects an employee whose skills, interests, and qualifications match their job description.

Therefore, while writing your resume, you should be cognizant of the keywords mentioned in the description of the job you are applying for, and include them in your resume where ever they are relevant.

Suppose the description says- ‘Proficient in the English language”, then your resume should have such words in it.

• Keep it Concise and Precise

As said, no one has the time to read stories in the name of a resume; therefore, keeping it concise and direct is the way to go about it. Give/write only the necessary and need details in all the sections of your resume.

It should be easy to read the document, with only important information mentioned. Put your achievements in reverse chronological order, beginning from the most recent achievement or work.

However, if you are a student, then your educational details should be highlighted first as you don’t have any major experience yet. Otherwise, if you’re an experienced professional then your job details should be in the spotlight.

• Proper Font and Language

It is obvious that you are not texting a friend, hence, the use of proper and professional language is a must. The use of active verbs while forming your sentences will reflect your professionalism. By using power words will give you an edge, like instead of using “managed” use the word “orchestrated”. One thing you have to be careful about is not to sound high-headed and overconfident as it will ruin your impression.

Also, the usage of the correct font is imperative.
The too small or too big font will decrease the readability of your resume, making the employer move on to the next, which is not our goal.

Use a font style that is appropriate for professional usage; avoid using handwriting font or scribbling ones. Arial, New Times Roman, are a few fonts that add professional elements to your golden paper.

• Blank space will blank you out

Anything excessive can turn good things into bad, that’s what unnecessary blank space in your resume will do. The more space you will have in your document, the duller and dry it will look. Unnecessary blank space will give the employer the impression that you are just filling the page and do not have the required qualities and will pass on, which is not what we want.

Hence avoid any extra blank space.

• Some not so common mistakes

People tend to add their unprofessional email address to their resume and don’t even think twice about it, making it the first thing about your unprofessional behaviour observed by an employer, who will reject your resume then and there.

If you have sample work to share, then what could be the reason for not attaching it? Always attach your work sample; it will give you an edge over others.

Do not have enough qualifications but have skills? If yes, then don’t even think of lying about it in your resume, this one has some serious consequences.

• Proofreading

It’s your golden paper, and you cannot afford to make any mistakes here. Revise and revise it until you are fully convinced. After that, take someone else’s opinion about it, which will help you see your resume from a different perspective. Make sure you have checked your grammar and spelling well. Submit it only after you are completely satisfied with it.

If you have all these elements in your golden paper, you will surely have your dream job in your hands sooner or later.