In the modern world, it is difficult to underestimate the need for such a document as a resume (CV). This is your presentation, expressed in the text, what exactly you will be met by a potential employer. When compiling a resume, several important points should be taken into account.
The first thing you need to realize for yourself is that it is impossible to make a resume that will meet the requirements of all employers or employees of HR departments. They themselves do not have a formula for an ideal CV: they like logical ones, but at the same time they are "killed" by a stream of identical resumes created using the same template. Therefore, it is worth starting with one basic option, which will be your starting point for further small changes for a specific vacancy. After all, employers expect from you exactly such a clearly focused resume.
The second important point when writing a resume is brevity. Your CV should not carry a single superfluous word and should fit on one page. Facts and only facts. If there were too many of them in your busy life, then try to highlight the most important ones, you will tell about the rest already at the interview.
Write only the truth. Any, even the most insignificant lie is easily detected. So if you specify among your hobbies, for example, theater or literature, be ready to talk about your favorite production or read some excerpt from your favorite work. Once during an interview, I spent a few minutes discussing the subtleties of handball, which was listed in my CV, and also turned out to be one of my potential employer's favorite sports.
Do not forget and use cover letters whenever such an opportunity is provided. This is what will make your resume and you stand out among a large number of other applicants.
And now, having told about the most important general points in the compilation, we will comment on the main sections of the summary:
Goal: here you need to briefly and clearly describe the vacancy for which you are applying.
Education: it is recommended to indicate the full names of educational institutions with the name of the faculty and the received specialty, and also do not forget about the dates. It makes sense to note the presence of a diploma with honors, a scientific degree, and in some cases – to indicate the topic of the thesis or dissertation.
Work experience: it is necessary to list from 3 to 5 previous jobs in reverse chronological order (unless otherwise required), indicating positions, the number of subordinates, a detailed description of functions, responsibilities. We recommend that you indicate the scope of its activities next to the company name (for example, Arena LLC — production and sale of stands for sports facilities). In addition, if you have held several positions within the same company, it is better to list everything with a description of functions and responsibilities.
Successes and achievements: here you need to demonstrate to the employer what you have already achieved professionally. It is better to operate with numbers, this allows you to visualize your achievements more clearly, as well as to present the result in a perfect form (Compare: “For 1 year of work, I developed and compiled 2 business plans, according to which investments of $ 2 million were received” and “I developed and compiled business plans”).
Personal qualities: this section often seems to be the simplest. However, most of the qualities that fall into this section are constantly repeated in each resume, so the employer simply stops noticing them. Tip: do not write standard qualities, it is better to specify what you can do really well.
Additional information: here include the information that has not yet been included in any of the previous sections and which will help you achieve your main goal – to get to an interview.
Recommendations: an important section that shows the presence of professional connections. Here it is worth specifying several people who could give you a description or simply indicate "recommendations are possible on demand"
After drawing up a resume, you should not immediately send it to the employer. It is better to read it carefully again, check for errors or make small changes to better match a specific vacancy.
Good luck!
This is an article by our new author, Ve. We are very happy that he has joined the Lifehacker team!
