What Does a Good Resume Look Like? Here’s the Real Deal

Why is it important to write a good resume?

As employers receive a number of applications for a particular post, they might have time to go through each of them only a few minutes or at most a few seconds. Because of this time constraint, there should be an ability to grab an employer’s attention within the first glance at the resume. Doing so implies that there are a lot of differences between the manner in which one writes a resume and the general success rate of the job search.

What Information Should be on a Resume and What Format Should It Be Prepared?

For example, are you, perhaps, sitting in front of a computer not knowing what you should list in the resume?

We’ve all been there. You want it to be seen, noticed by the hiring manager and, most importantly, to get that desired job interview.But more importantly what does a good resume look like? Let’s dive in.

A Good Resume: How To Write It

Information on a resume has to be of high quality and presented in a simple, user friendly manner. Furthermore, while preparing this resume for the portals and online submission there should also be flexibility in its arrangement to facilitate easy browsing of related jobs through search engine. Follow these steps to write an real and engaging resume:Follow these steps to write an effective and engaging resume:

1. Choose the Right Formatting

There are three major formats to write a resume: they are chronological, functional and combination. While most of the resumes are written in the chronological template, the right format may vary depending on the industry, your position and your choice.

Keep it concise and do not write more than a one or two pages resume. In terms of experience it may be helpful to concentrate on the last job you’ve been holding and the most significant certifications you had. Minimise the descriptions about older jobs and the less relevant qualifications.

2. The Design for The Layout Should Be Easy on The Eyes and Straightforward.

Some of the tips for organizing your resume properly so that it can easily be scanned by an employer include; You can easily achieve this by making the headings conspicuous, listing points, limiting the use of small paragraphs and underlining some of the words in bold or italic.

Make sure to employ a serious and readable font. For instance, fonts such as Times New Roman, Georgia and Tahoma are normally preferred by web masters because they are easily legible to most individuals. When choosing the font ensure that it is well spaced and appropriate for both digital and print medium. In the process of formatting it is recommended to limit the size of the font ranging from nine to twelve points.

How to use color: This is also a very important aspect that one can apply when designing a resume that is colourful. For instance, there can be different color for headings and the rest of the resume may be monogrammed. It is also possible to attract the reader into a specific point of interest with the help of color. But be cautious of the use of extra colours on your template if any. It will be sufficient to pick one colour that you can use together with your largely black and white resume.

3. Focus on Your Achievements

I think one should deliver job history but when doing that the focus should not be on what your job demanded from you. For instance, illustrate that when solving a particular difficult problem, you engage your creativity to come up with solution that may not have been used by others before. Consider the likes of those particular and measurable outcomes that you attained and incorporate them into this area.

The same should be used while describing the skills more of them. Job seekers must realize that instead of a list of skills, an employer is far more concerned about how you have put the skills into practice. It is not necessary to have a ‘skills’ section, unless you are applying for a job where some specific ‘hard’ skills are expected of you such as an IT specialist. Thus, it is wiser to incorporate the skills in the description of the work experience instead.

4. Add a Brief Summary Along With a List of Your Communication Details.

While it is true that the first few lines of your resume have more weight when it comes to appealing to the employer’s attention. You can grab the readers’ attention right from the start if you begin with an engaging summary. The summary or overview section is the very first section of the resume that comes at the top, and you should present your skills, experience, qualification, and achievements.

You should also include your name and email at the top of the Resume so that one does not have to search for it. Having your contact information easily accessible will prove useful to a hiring manager that is trying to get in touch with you. In most cases, people only have to put the city, the state and zip code of the place where they reside in the mailing address.

5. Use Keywords

Just like in writing an article, choosing the right keyword when writing your resume can make you easily noticed by the hiring managers. Also it will also assist you to overcome the task of having to face with the computerized application tracking and sorting systems which most employers incorporate during the initial stages of the recruitment process. The keywords should therefore be in harmony with the favoured job description and the job that is being sought.

6. Proofread for Errors

Proofreading gives you a second chance to make your resume error-free before it reaches an employer. Review the resume for grammar, spelling and proof reading errors, and other problems that may affect the understanding of the information provided. It is also possible to ask a friend to review it for you too. There is also another button – ‘spellchecker’ which if clicked can assist you in identifying some of those obvious spelling mistakes.

The Basics: What Every Good Resume Needs

1. Clear Contact Information

No-brainer, right? Yet, you’d be surprised how many people fail to be creative about the name, phone number, and email. Print your name in a larger font than the rest of the content and ensure that your contact information are visible at the start.

2. Compelling Summary or Objective

This can be your 30second marketing spiel. Mini- bios that contain several lines that include information about you, your values, and your expectations. Avoid some of the obvious ones such as ‘I am a hard worker, or I am a good team player there are so many people who apply these kind of phrases. Instead, get specific.

3. Relevant Experience

Organize your experience in the following pattern; starting with the most recent accomplishments. For every position, recount your accomplishments—the What, the How, and the What Difference you have made in the process. They should be put in bullet points so that they can be easily read.

4. Skills That Matter

This is your opiniuon to give the employer a taste of what you are capable of offering. Make sure that you further adapt the skills section according to the job you are applying for. It is aimed at using a combination of practical technical skills such as Excel, coding, designing as well as employability skills including leadership and interpersonal skills.

5. Clean Design and Layout

It cannot have outrageous fonts, colors or graphics – something like late 90’s websites. Nevertheless, do not overcrowd the information as this would make it look overwhelming to the eye. If you are in your early career, do not go beyond one page while if you are an experienced candidate you are allowed to use two pages.

Examples of a Good Resume

Imagine you’re applying for a marketing role. Instead of saying, “Managed social media,” you could say:
“Boosted social media engagement by 40% in six months by creating tailored content and analyzing audience data.”

See the difference? It’s specific, measurable, and tells a story.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcrowding: Too much text makes it hard to read.
• Typos and Grammar Mistakes: One mistake can ruin your chances.
• Irrelevant Information: No need to list your high school if you’ve got college degrees.

FAQs About Good Resumes

1.     How many numbers of pages should any good resume contain?

Ideally, one page if it’s your first time in content marketing through writing the guest posts. One page if you have few experiences but. If you have a lot of experience then you can use two pages.

2.     What should I do, use resume template?

There are templates available for designs but should ensure that your design is not similar to that of the rest.

3.     This is to find out if a cover letter is necessary along with this resume.

Yes! It always provide an opportunity for a candidate to write why he or she should be considered for the position.

Final Takeaway: Resume: What is a Good Resume Like?

Good resume appears to be quite neat, uncluttered and simple. Yet it presents your best impression while being free from embellishments. Make every word an entertainment for your reader’s senses and avoid using. The same words over and over again as this might make your work monotonous.

So, now that you have been challenged, go and get that job!

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