What Should a Good Resume Include?
A resume or CV, as it is commonly referred to as, is your marketing tool when job hunting. A poorly written resume will negatively affect your chances of getting a job, no matter how qualified you think you are. If you keep applying for jobs you are qualified for but do not get as much as an interview, it is time to go back to your resume and make some changes. This is why this article will cover, “What should a good resume include?” so that you can ensure that you’re covering all of your bases.
What Should a Good Resume Include?
What should a good resume include? A good resume should have the most important parts such as your contact details, referees, testimonial, educational background, technical skills, your strength, personal attributes and employment history. Ensure they are in proper order and avoid including unnecessary information.
Contact Details
Ensure that your resume contains your full name and contact details, such as an email address and phone number. Have your contact details as part of the main body on your resume as some software do not recognize information placed on headers or footers on a document.
Opening Statement
It is a summary of who you are and what you have done. The first sentence should be about who you are followed by why you think you are best suited for the position. In total, the opening statement should be about six sentences long without personal references.
Key Strengths
List at least 10 skills that you have that will be suitable for the job you are applying for. Think of all the things you have done; whether you learnt them at school, previous jobs or volunteering. If they relate to the job you are applying for, then list them.
Technical Skills
List software or tech-gadgets you can comfortably handle. If you know any programming languages, word processing, spreadsheets and other software and gadgets such as cash registers, be sure to name them.
Personal attributes — This is a list of personal traits that are valuable in the job if you do not have enough work experience.
Education and Employment History
Only include your highest level of education and some academic achievements like awards won and groups and clubs you participated in. You should start with your most recent employment and move backwards when listing your employment history. Do not worry if you do not have any work experience; you can list some of the skills acquired during internships or from volunteering. Make sure they relate to the job and the key skills you mentioned.
Referees/Testimonials
Have at least two people who can positively recommend you as referees. They should be people you have previously worked with. A testimonial is a way to prove that you are what your potential employer is looking for. Ask a colleague, former employer or teacher to write one for you.
Bottom Line
The software used by most recruitment agencies looks for certain keywords when scanning applications. Some of the key words include; skills, jobs, qualifications, tools and activities. One way of identifying the right keywords to use is by going through their ad and listing the words used in the job description. Once you have answered the question ‘what should a good resume include?’, it is easy to identify the unnecessary things that should be avoided. With a good resume, you can ensure that you’ll ace the internal interview and know how to grow as a leader.
