Although many individuals have created a resume, they often question its quality and the type of resume that will result in numerous interview calls. In this blog post, let’s understand how to build a professional resume by understanding some important aspects you must remember. These tips are from Neha Agrawal, an NTU Singapore Graduate, and WiseUp Communications founder who received 3 full-time offers in Singapore.

What’s a resume?

A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is a vital document that is necessary when seeking employment, an internship, or applying for higher education abroad. Learn some important aspects that you need to know to build a professional resume.

Important aspects – building a professional resume

1. Resume should be short and crisp

Before you start building your resume, there are several things you should know. First and foremost, it is crucial to understand that a recruiter typically spends only 30 seconds scanning your resume. Therefore, you should take a moment to review your resume from a recruiter’s perspective and consider whether it effectively creates a strong first impression within that brief timeframe. What potential issues can you identify? For instance, the format may not be visually appealing, it may be too lengthy and difficult to skim in 30 seconds, or it may contain irrelevant information that hinders the reader’s ability to quickly access the most important parts. Jot down any issues you identify.

2. Use the right format of resume

When selecting an Internet format to build your resume, there are two key factors to consider. 

• Choose a single-column format – It is important to choose a single-column format, as multi-column formats can be challenging to read and follow for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which are commonly used by companies to evaluate job candidates. 
• Avoid usage of excessive colors – It is recommended to avoid incorporating excessive use of colors, such as orange, red, and purple, and instead stick to shades of blue or black. 

At WiseUp, we have built a resume template that works well for all types of companies and universities, both in India and abroad. Additionally, we offer two other resume formats, one which is popular among software engineers and the other which is commonly used for business, marketing, and consulting positions. To receive these formats, you can enroll in our resume-building course.

3. Have the right content in your resume

The next important part in building a resume is the content. Now how do you make the content stand out? Well, follow these two steps. 

Step 1 – PURGING – Remove anything unimportant 

Remove any information that does not help you with the job, it could be personal information you have shared for example your marital status which has nothing to do with the job, or it could be a skill or a project you have listed that again has nothing to with the job. Leave it out if you have more relevant content to share. Similarly, look at each section carefully and leave out anything that you feel is not worth the 30 seconds. 

Step 2 – Include relevant information. 

• Courses you have taken – Add some of the courses you have taken in college related to the job you’re applying to. This immediately shows the recruiter you have the right knowledge they are looking for. 
• Skills that you have – Generally, we don’t add skills like MS Excel or PowerPoint on our resume because we feel it is pretty basic. But if you see that in the job description, make sure to include it. 
• Statistics – Finally, add some statistics, it could be the 95% percent accuracy you achieved in your project, a 15% increase in sales that you achieved, or a team of 12 members that you worked with. The more statistics you include, the more credibility you attach to your resume.

4. Name the resume in the right way

To ensure your resume is properly named, it is important to follow these instructions carefully. Don’t save resume as – “resume” or “resume\_v5” or “First Name\_resume”. This can be irritating to hiring managers. Instead, you should save the PDF document as: Your Full Name\_Resume\_Job position. This format clearly identifies the document’s purpose, your name, and the position you are applying for. This makes it easy for recruiters! 🙂

Given below are sample resumes of students. Try to guess which is a good resume format and which is not. At WiseUp, we provide professional resume templates and offer guidance on how to present information effectively in your resume. Additionally, we offer live one-on-one feedback sessions with experts who will review and correct any mistake. Register for our course now by clicking the link provided. Build a Professional Resume

Creating a first resume can be an overwhelming task, especially if you lack work experience. It can seem like a chicken and egg story – potential employers will not offer you an internship without experience, but you cannot acquire experience without an internship. Therefore, how can you create a resume when you are just starting and do not have any work experience? Stay tuned for our next blog on resume tips for freshers! For any questions in the current blog – comment below! 🙂