OPINION
Format to Write a Successful Resume. Keep it Simple.
Resume Writing is Hard, but you can make it Simple.
Resume writing is hard. How can you fit all that in a one or two-page paper?
Start Writing. One has to start somewhere. Your first writing is your draft resume, including everything you’ve done, learned, and the tools used for your projects or job experience.
“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”― Terry Pratchett
The resume format may vary from one person to the other. One of the things that I always follow is to be simple when it comes to resume writing.
“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” ― Steve Jobs
Simple is hard because you have to make sure that every little detail you add to your resume makes sense and has values.
One of the things I learned through various Resume Workshops, Conferences, Recruiters, HR Professionals, Professors, and the Forbes Summit 2019 is the format of your resume matters. The flow and keywords on your resume are essential.
Resume Format
Things to remember
There are a few things to check on your resume before sending it for a review or apply for a job.
Summary/ Objective: This is Optional.
Summary — Highlight a few important experiences and skills you’ve acquired. Objective — It is a statement of your career goals. You can include both or just one. It depends on the position you are applying to a company.
Consistent bullet points or key points in your resume.
For your job description or projects, use Action Contex Results (ACR) format in each bullet point.
“ What you’ve done, and what are the outcomes.”
Keywords and Metrics are important.
Consistent Duration Format. For example, “MONTH 20XX — MONTH 20XX”
Be consistent with the usage of a full stop. Check your grammar.
Avoid “the” and “ a.”
Publications are optional.
Most recruiters prefer a 1-page resume — Max for up to 2 pages.
Happy resume writing! :)
