Resume Checklist
Here is a thorough 12-points checklist that will help you to polish your resume to perfection. We have created it together with the experienced recruiters who know what is expected from such papers. We paid heed of all the ins and outs of a top-notch resume so you can reap the benefits of our work now.
Formatting
A consistent format is one of the guarantees that your resume will be parsed by automated systems like ATS. There is a pretty good chance that your resume may be rejected because of the usage of a fancy font.
Recruiters look through dozens, if not hundreds, of resumes every day so they cannot dedicate a lot of time to each and every text. Thus, your paper should be formatted in a way that helps to find meaningful data at once without the need to pore into the text.
The length of the text also plays an important role. There is no need to wax eloquent on a subject as there is a 100% chance that no one will read a novel-sized text. All essential information can be placed on one page (or two, if you have more than 10 years of employment history).
Overall appearance
The well-structured and wholesome text is easier to conceive and the uncluttered structure highlights the essential information.
Using the PDF format is crucial as recruiters may use different word processors and your formatting may be gone for good.
STRUCTURE
The structure of the paper should emphasize the key components of your resume. Thus, college students or recent graduates must place the Education section right after the name and personal information so the recruiter can see the concordance of the academic training with the job position. In the case of an experienced employee, much prominence should be given to the work experience.
According to this, the structure of the graduate’s resume should look like this:
- Name;
- Personal Information;
- Education;
- Work Experience (if any);
- Extracurricular Activities;
- Additional Info;
And the employee’s resume should be structured according to this list:
- Name;
- Personal Information;
- Work Experience;
- Projects/Activities (if any);
- Education;
- Additional Info;
The main aim of the resume is to provide brief yet well-rounded information about the applicant. So it is essential to get rid of all unnecessary data. Do not include the Summary and Objective: these chapters repeat the information provided further. In addition, adding the Objective to the text may be even harmful because of the ATS. The system may parse your resume according to the specified Objective so it won’t account it for the similar positions that may be interesting to you too.
Do not add a photo (unless it is specified in the requirements imposed on the resume). The recruiters are interested in your know-how, not your appearance, so there is no need to waste. Plus, some systems reject resumes with a photo automatically.
Forget about the “References available upon request” line, as it is obvious. If the recruiters need your references, they will ask you without this reminder.
Check your personal information: do not include the information about your religion, age, gender, marital status etc. After all, your expertise and experience are the only things that matter.
First impression
Why is it important?
As they say, there are no second chances to rectify the first impression. And here all the details are important. No matter how good your resume is, if it is not formatted correctly or if you have printed it on a grey thin paper, you will spoil the first impression.
Also, there has to be something that will stand you out from the crowd. Many applicants solve this issue by using sophisticated templates, several fonts of all shapes and colors or even turn the resume into artwork, but all these things distract the recruiter from the important information about you. On the other hand, recruiters look through hundreds of carbon-copy resumes and it is essential to be original. You can fulfill this task by adding a unique skill or providing a well-rounded description of a challenging project you’ve completed successfully.
Career objectives
It is a sign to the recruiter that you are a flexible person, eager for professional development and willing to improve your skills. After all, there is a possibility that the allied position will be more appropriate to you.
Achievement-oriented
Consider your resume as an ad schedule. You have to convince the recruiter that you will be a great contribution to the company. All your achievements and successful projects are your benefits versus other applicants. Yet, remember that all these achievements should be closely connected to the skills and knowledge required on the position you are applying for.
Relevance
You are at risk of cluttering the resume with all your success stories starting from middle school. Recruiters are interested in the information that proves that you are a reliable and knowledgeable employee – and how it is connected to your 2nd place in the school sports competition in the 6th grade?
Writing style
It is easier to estimate the productivity of an applicant with help of provided quantifiers rather than words. Recruiters give preference to the applicants able to quantify their success. If you are applying for several positions, adjust your resumes in the Skills and Work Experience sections according to the requirements of the job.
Skills
It is crucial information that proves that you are fit for a position. Do not make recruiters search for it.
Education
This section shows the level of your academic training. Therefore, do not include your test scores if they are not in the top 20th percentile.
Work Experience
It is, perhaps, the most essential section. The information you provide there should indicate that you are capable of performing future duties. Do not try to squeeze in all your work experience, pick those positions that correlate with the desired position. The only exception is when you have a limited work experience: then you can mention all your previous jobs with an emphasis on the skills essential for the new job.