Make your Resume : helpful writing tips

As long as you know the rules – unwritten – the exercise of writing a resume is not a complicated task.

By definition, your resume is a comprehensive document that details your training steps, your professional skills and your career.

In practice, this is your passport to get an interview and then seek a job. It must be clear, understandable and attractive, corresponding to the position your potential employers have to offer.

Step 1: Information, discussion and resources

To write a resume, it is necessary to :

find an old resume of yours (if available), your diplomas, certificates of employment or pay slips, patents, internship reports, certification and a recent passport photo.

be clear with your professional objective and therefore for the desired function in order to document your skills and qualities required for this position.

choose the arguments to put forward: like your best achievements, proven results, known and recognized competencies, strengths and extra professional results.

be certain to have a word processor or a resume builder app.

Step 2: grouping of information

personal information : name and all the necessary information to contact you: complete postal mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address. If you feel it relevant, age, family status and owned driver’s license(s).

the desired field : the position you are applying for. Be certain to add your specialty and more if necessary. You can also include an “Objective” section to clarify and detail the position or function sought after.

professional experience : for each job held, the name of the company, the industry or field of activity, the size of the company, the start and end dates of the contract, the position held and a summary of your key activities, the tasks performed, your responsibilities and your specific know-how.

training : education: degrees obtained, when and in what schools. Internships: company or enterprise, duration, tasks completed. Professional training: provide skills, certifications and patents obtained and the titles of the various training performed.

skills : all relevant skills for the position or professional field, plus those related to computers and languages.

references : be sure to have all the authorizations of persons mentioned in the recommendations you are presenting.

miscellaneous : anything that is not directly related to the desired position but is important to you: extracurricular activities such as music, sports, volunteer work and anything else.

Step 3: formatting

The several ways available to present your professional experiences give us many types of resumes.

We can therefore consider the following four presentations :

Anti-chronological : it is the most common presentation. Last experience first and then all the previous ones.

Chronological : another presentation, less frequent. First (oldest) experience first and then the following.

Thematic : when seeking a professional goal that spans multiple functions or positions, favor this type of presentation.

Newbie : Training is highlighted, courses and/or training are regrouped into the professional experience section (or in business experience or professional training).

Whatever the presentation or lay out chosen, your resume must present your best academic and vocational courses and highlight your key skills.