What do Interviewers “Look for in a Resume”? to write a resume that will get you an interview call. Second how to structure a resume. It is less about what is it that they ‘look’ for and more about what is that Interviewers ‘see’. For example, suppose this is job that we are applying for the role of a Blockchain Developer. Even though I took an example of an I.T job, you can use the same principals, for Banking, Education, Hotel Management, Sales or any other job that you like. Now the problem is, no matter what job you are applying for there will be 100’s, if not 1000’s of people applying for the same job! With these many profiles, the interviewers will hardly spend around 10 seconds to look at your resume. It’s like being on Tinder. If your profile is not appealing at the first glance, then you will be left-swiped right away, because there are a lot of other profiles waiting to be reviewed, which is why your resume should not be like a long boring list! It should be like an advertisement… short. To the Point and Crips! And that brings us to the resume structure!
To help you understand the resume structure better, I am going to write it with you. We are first going to build an experienced person’s profile, and then make a few changes to this profile, so that it becomes a fresher profile. The first thing you need to write is your Name. After name, is the Professional title. This is where you use words phrases that define you professionally. Like problem Slover, Innovator, Mentor, Quick Leaner, Fire Fighter which basically means that you are quick at solving problems! Later to mention a few Patents that you have, so make sure that you support whatever you write in your professional title throughout our resume. Nest is contact information, and these are the things that you can mention, first is Email id, create a new ID that has your name and mention that, write your phone number, and next, mention any social media profile that are relevant to the position you are applying to like you LinkedIn profile. and that is most of what you need to mention in your contact information. Things that you don’t need to mention are your marital status, religious affiliation, DOB or even your photo because all of this is unnecessary information taking up unnecessary space.
Next comes Experience. Here you will mention your current job first and then go back and mention your old jobs in a reverse chronological order. So mention the name of the company, your job role, and right beneath it, mention the time-period you’re held that role for. Suppose you were in the same company but have had different roles, then you can have a separate section for each role. Write down your responsibilities and key deliverables in a bullet point format. Remember this section is an opportunity to showcase, how your experience is aligned to the position that you are applying for. Remember to sprinkle the keywords mentioned in the job description. Throughout your experience section. Because that way the hiring manager will know that you have the experience that the team needs. And second point, always try to be specific about your achievements. Because you have added to your accomplishment, it gives the hiring manager confidence in your abilities.
Next is Education. Incase you have been working for quite some time, then it’s best to keep your education section short and sweet. Suppose you have been working for 6 years or more, then it doesn’t make sense to mention your 10th and 12th percentage. Just mention the details of your last degree. With the time period. And write after that in 3-4 bullet point, any relevant course work or honours and that’s it! If you are a student, you’ll obviously add a lot more in the education section.
Next come skills. You can mention the Languages and Technologies that you know, and rate them according to how well you know them. But make sure that you include the skills that have been mentioned in the job description. You can mention your Communication skills, Critical Thinking, Leadership Skills, Social Media skills, Project Management skills, basically do not forget to mention the skills that have been included in the job description.
Next is Additional Section. This is the best to brag about any, Awards, Certification’s, Publications, Patents, Volunteer work done, languages that you know, extra-curricular activities, conferences / courses attended or any other hobbies that you have. That are relevant to the position that you are applying to. Just pick the best 2 sections and mention them.
Incase you are a fresher, or are applying for an entry-level job, then the resume pretty much remains the same, except for 3 changes. #1: Education, If you are a fresher, mention your Education before your Experience, List down your Institution Name, Degree and time period in reverse chronological order upto your 10 standard, and don’t forget to have a separate column for your percentage of your CGPA. #2. Next is experience, I know, if you are a fresher, there isn’t much. That you can write under the Experience section. But here are few things that you can mention. Mention any internships you’ve done, mention any paper you have worked on, with your faculty. Any part-time work to pay your college fees, mention that because it tells the hiring manager that you are committed and have developed a sense of professionalism early in your life. #3. The third and final change is this, incase you are a student, there are a lot of things, that you can mention under the Additional section, the best being your competitive exam score. Incase you have not given any of these then no problem. Then you can mention the college fest that you had participated contests, so these were the 3 keys differences between a Freshers profile and an Experienced person’s profile.
Now before you hit export and send that resume to a Hiring Manager, there are a few important points to remember, # 1. Keep your resume to 1-page, maximum. #2. Always proof-read and double check your resume. But the third and the important point, never ever lie in your resume. If you don’t have the skills, you might not get this job, but if you lie then you might not be called for any future jobs the company might have. So that’s how you write a resume.
