No matter whether you are creating your first resume or updating an existing one, these 9 guidelines and tips with a good resume example below will help you to write a stand-out resume, covering everything from personal information to the final references section.
Let’s check them out!
1. Personal Details
To make a good resume, write your personal details, such as your name, address, and contact details at the top of your resume. It is because this information is the first thing a recruiter will see. It is also necessary to put it in chronological order. First, write your name in big, bold letters in the center of the page and followed by your address, phone number, and e-mail address.
Good example:
Adam Lawson
74 Summerfield Road, Dorset, DJ3 9XY
Mobile: 07976627294 E-mail: [email protected]
Tips:
- Do not write “Curriculum Vitae” or “Resume” at the top of your resume. You can start by writing your name.
- Avoid using unprofessional e-mail addresses (e.g. [email protected]).
- Do not put the prefix “address:” before the actual address.
- Try to include relevant information only. There is no need to include additional information such as gender, marital status, country, and so on unless there is an obligation to include such information.
2. Personal Profile Statement
In this section, you will write shortly an attractive short description about yourself. In this personal profile statement, you have a chance to promote yourself by writing about your skills, experiences, and your professional goals, and ambitions.
When creating your personal profile, make sure it is:
- On point and short (no more than 5 lines);
- Relevant to the position you are applying for; and
- Includes some real examples or results.
Good example:
As a digital marketer with over two years of professional experience conducting market research, analyzing consumer data, and dealing with all the social media and website communications including writing articles to boost the brand awareness of the company’s services, showing my passion and dedication to bring success to the company in this competitive industry.
Tips:
- Your personal statement should highlight your skills and experiences related to the position you are applying for.
- Don’t be too humble; instead, be confident and write only positive things about yourself, but keep it real and not too much.
- Try to avoid vague clichés like “great communication skills” or “I can work well in a team and on my own initiative” without showing real examples or results of these skills and abilities.
3. Achievements
Write your achievements in your resume is a great way to make your resume stand out in a crowd of applicants. A research conducted that applicants with achievement-focused resumes are three times more likely to get interviewed than ones with duties-focused resumes!
Then, what kind of achievements should you add to this section? It is simply any achievements that are relevant to the position you are applying for are worth mentioning, such as:
- Awards won
- Promotions
- Completed important projects on time and within budget
- Increased sales figures (by such-and-such %)
- Saved time by coming up with efficient methods and tools
- Qualifications gained
- Leader/captain/manager in some club or organization
Good example:
- Over two years of relevant work experience in the field
- 2:1 degree in Business Management from the University of London
- Student Ambassador (2 Open Days), Bexley College
Tips:
- A good resume example always includes a maximum of three achievements under this section
- Write it with bullet points and short sentences, and avoid writing it in a long paragraphs to make the recruiter easier to read it.
- This section is optional; if you feel that you haven’t got something relevant to include here you can simply omit it and go straight to the education and training section
4. Education
This section is one of the most important parts to make a good resume. It will give a brief explanation to the recruiter about your educational background, including when did you start and graduates, what are you majoring at, and your GPA. You can make it in chronological order starting with the highest level of your education. It will add more value if you mention additional training or certifications that you have obtained during your study time.
Good example:
- 2013 – 2016 BSc Computer Science Northampton University
Grade achieved: [1st Class Hons]
Relevant modules:
- Programming Languages: Java, PHP and C++
- Human-Computer Interaction
- System Security and Encryption
- Contemporary Trends in Computer Science
- 2012 – 2013 A-Levels East London College
Results: ICT: B Media: A English Literature: B
- 2005 – 2012 GCSEs Ada Secondary School
Results: 11 GCSEs at Grades A*-C, including Math and English.
Tips:
- It is important to mention the only relevant information that will add more value to your resume. For instance, if you are applying for a Linguistics lecturer position, and you are a Ph.D. majoring in Linguistics, it won’t make any sense if you are highlighting the bachelor’s or master’s degree of your education in your resume.
- Always mention the starting year of your education and the year when your graduate.
- Expand on important education (e.g. degree) and list some of the relevant modules that you have completed as part of the course
5. Employment
Employment or working experience is another important part of your resume. You can mention all of your working experiences no matter it is permanent or temporary positions, full-time or part-time employment, weekend or summer employment, voluntary job or internships just mention it all. Furthermore, don’t forget to give more explanation to every working experiences that you have mentioned, including the following information:
- The name of the company where you previously worked
- The beginning and ending dates (from-to)
- Your position title
- Your primary responsibility and duties
Good example:
Nov 2021 – at presents Marketing Director at PT. Rimba Sentosa Persada, Central Java
Responsibilities:
- Plan and execute a marketing strategy for the organization and for new and existing products or services
- Oversee the implementation of the marketing strategy
- Develop a brand strategy
- Set and administer an annual marketing budget
- Create and manage a calendar of events such as webinars, conferences, and thought leadership contributions
- Guide the day-to-day activities of the marketing team
- Continually review changes to the market, consumer trends, and the activities of competitors, adjusting the marketing plan if necessary
- Provide tools and materials to enable the sales team to function effectively
Sep 2017 – Oct 2021 Ass. Secretary at PT. Filemon Inty Machinery, Jakarta
Responsibilities:
- Answer the telephone, take messages, transfer calls to suitable staff
- Offers visitors, clients, and partners pertinent information about the company and its activity
- Receive and send emails, memos, etc.
- Handle correspondence, documents, and reports
- Make travel arrangements and hotel reservations for customers
- Book conference rooms, organize conferences, meetings, and other events
- Participate at meetings and handle the agenda
- Maintain schedules and calendars
- Organize and maintain file records and database
- Collect and organize client information and make reports
- Assist the management in all business-related activities
- Ensure maintenance at working place
Tips:
- You can highlight your achievements in the roles that you have mentioned. For example, exceeded sales targets, managed a project or a team, entrusted with higher responsibilities, etc.
- Just mention the name of your previous company and do not mention your previous employers’ contact information in this section.
- Mention all of your duties in understandable terms. It will make the recruiter easier to understand.
6. Qualification
Usually, the qualification section is included in the education section. However, to make the recruiter easier to read and understand your resume, it is better to write them separately.
In this section, you can mention all the qualifications you have achieved together with all the supporting information, such as the issuer/training provider, the qualification level, and the certificate’s validity/expiry date.
Good example:
- Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Customer Service – The Open University
- Level 2 ECDL (European Computer Driving License) – BCS
- First Aid at Work – HSE
Tips:
- Always mention the most important and relevant qualifications first.
- Try to limit the number of your qualifications to a maximum of 5.
7. Skills
A good resume example usually has a skills section in it, although this is an optional section where you can mention some of your skills that can help you in the job you’re applying for. Some skills that you can mention here such as IT skills, communication, analytical, leadership, teamwork, and any other skills that are relevant and show your capability to do the job you are applying for.
Good example:
- Excellent communication skills and telephone manners, with the ability to speak in a clear, audible, and courteous manner
- Computer literate, with a typing speed of 70wpm (words per minute) and the ability to respond to emails and letters in a time-efficient manner
Tips:
- Always try to include real examples with the skills that you mention
8. Hobbies and Interests
You can include the hobbies and interests section to your resume to show that you are a well-rounded individual who is actively involved in extracurricular activities and community service.
Good example:
In my spare time, I love visiting national galleries and museums and going to new places or restaurants while enjoying the beauty of nature with my friends and family. I am also very passionate about food, and I enjoy doing food and nature photography and videography on a regular basis.
– When applying for a photographer job
Tips:
- Mention one or two hobbies that are relevant to the job, and try to avoid any hobbies that do not add value to your application
- This section is a supporting section for your resume. Try to keep it short but strong enough to give the recruiter more elaboration about your skills, and do not fill up half a page with your hobbies and neglect the other important sections such as working experience and education!
9. References
Last but not least, the final section of your resume is the references section. Your references should be two persons who know you well and have worked with you in some capacity and can confirm your abilities to the prospective employer. Furthermore, you can add the details of your referees such as their full name, title/position, (Work) address, and contact details.
Good example:
Mr. Jack Adams
Store Manager, Exclusive Luxury
Address: 5 Summerland Rd, Oxford, OX8 3QP
Tel: 0533 433 907
Email: [email protected]
Tips:
- Always give the job title of the referees to give more credibility to your resume.
- Always ask permission of your references before you write them on your resume
- If you decide not to include references on your resume you can simply write “references available upon request.“
Final Tips:
- Use appropriate presentational techniques to make your resume easy to scan and read
- A good resume should be no more than 2 A4 pages to make the recruiter easier to read and understand. You can remove all the irrelevant information when necessary.
- Don’t forget to proofread your resume to minimize the spelling and grammar errors before you send your resume.
- Each different job position has different job requirements, thus it is important to tailor your resume for each job position that you are applying for
Congratulations! You are now one step forward in writing a good resume that will broader your chances to be invited to a job interview. Good luck!
