Writing a compelling resume.

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Writing a resume is never breeze. There is a recruiter out there, who has received innumerable resumes and he needs to shortlist the best. Will your resume make it to the shortlisted ones? Well, that is where the challenge begins. So, how do you ensure that the recruiter likes your resume? Here are some tips.

1. Remember, people do not have much time to read details. Hence, it is always about the first 15 to 20 words that decide whether the recruiter will approve your resume or not. Write about yourself precisely, stressing on why you are the right person for the job.
2. Do not use Clichés.  There are resumes which start with phrases like, ‘Completed five years in this field. Responsible for managing a team of 15 people’ and so on and so forth. These are overused phrases. Try avoiding such phrases.
3. Write in the correct order. In case of business resume, write your employment history and relevant work experience first. You can add your education and certification details at the end of the resume.
4. A Resume is not meant to be comprehensive. Hence, select only the relevant details and add those. Do not add every single detail of your career.
5. Write the accomplishments, not the responsibilities. For example, you may have managed a team of 15 people. But what is important is, in your guidance, were they able to achieve their goals, were their skill sets and knowledge enhanced?
6. Your resume should be readable. It is okay for the resume to be 2 to 3 pages long. But, do not make it longer than that. Do not use fancy fonts. Keep appropriate spaces between words.
7. Tweak your resume as per the job requirement. Do some research on the company you are applying for job, talk to people and try and find out more about it and then go ahead and tweak your resume based on that. Tweaking, however, never means that you have to be dishonest. Be honest and truthful when it comes to highlighting your skill sets.
8. Most important point here is, ensure your LinkedIn profile is updated. Ensure that your profile summary is written in first person. If you do not have a LinkedIn Profile, sign up now. All the same, do not copy paste your resume on your LinkedIn profile.

References: https://hbr.org/2014/12/how-to-write-a-resume-that-stands-out