A Step-By-Step Guide To Drafting A Perfect Resume

When you think of drafting a perfect resume, Elle Woods approach may hit your mind. Remember that pink scented resume that Elle Woods passes to Professor Callahan in the movie Legally Blonde? That might seem like the perfect resume, you get the amazing scent and it’s pink! But, that can be true only in Hollywood fantasies. In the real world, such a resume will either find its place in the trash or will be pinned on the “Wall of Shame” board to set an example of what not to do when making a resume.

Drafting a perfect resume without the sparkle pens and the smelly perfumes

Writing a great resume requires not only tremendous work experience and skills, it also needs proper formats and order of information. You need to know that the hiring manager will be going through hundreds, if not thousands of resumes and your resume should be able to grab their attention so it stands out from the rest.

According to a research, only one out of 200 resumes is selected and the candidate is called for the interview. So, you need to make sure that yours is not one of those 199 and is the one that is on the “keep” pile.

Steps on how to make a perfect resume:

Step 1: Search for jobs

Tailoring is the key when drafting a perfect resume, so if you don’t know what company you are applying for, it doesn’t make any sense to make the resume. No matter how hard you try, you might fail in writing a great resume if you don’t know the employer who will be receiving that resume.

Step 2: Decide keywords for your resume

When hiring managers and recruiters search for candidates, they search using specific keywords. You need to include some of those keywords in your resume so as to reach the eye of the hiring manager.

Step 3: Pick a suitable resume format

There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to picking a suitable resume format. You can pick from the following types of resume format:

• Chronological Format: Your work experience is mentioned in a chronological order.
• Functional Format: It mainly highlights your skill and accomplishments. It is really useful when you have no or lesser experience in the field.
• Combination Format: This is a combination of both chronological and functional format, allowing you to highlight your work experience as well as your skills and accomplishments.

Step 4: Make it pleasing to the eye

You resume needs to have all the accurate and concise information, which needs to be presented in an aesthetically pleasing manner. It should not be overcrowded with information. The font style and format should be professional. (Tip: Please avoid using comic fonts!) Your resume should be devoid of any errors and should contain all the up to date information.

Step 5: Order of information

Your resume should contain the following information in the following order:

1. Name and contact details
2. Objective
3. List of key skills
4. List of technical skills
5. Educational qualifications
6. Work Experience
7. References

The order and the amount of information may vary depending on the years of experience you have and the position that you are applying for.

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