How to write a great resume.

Career
1 May 2019 |  5 min read 

 

To land a great job, a great resume can help.

If your CV needs a freshen up, or you want to write one from scratch, there are many elements you need to consider, according to Andrew Morris, Director at Robert Half specialist recruitment and job agency.

Here are some tips to creating the perfect resume – the one that gets the job.

 Personalise your CV for every application

While you may be tempted to use one resume for multiple job applications, this is not the way to go. You need to personalise each and every one with research into the job opportunity, says Morris.

“Review the job ad/description and the company’s website,” he says. From your research, you should glean:

  What skills and experience the hiring manager is looking for

  What the company values are

  What added value the successful candidate can bring to the company

  Why you are the best match for the job.

“Now personalise your resume by highlighting the skills, experience and values that the hiring manager is looking for. This is your best opportunity to capture the attention of the hiring manager and convince him or her of your suitability for the role.”

Finally, check that you have prioritised the required skills, experience and values.

“For example, if the advertisement highlighted that the successful applicant would be ‘process-driven’, and you have an example where you have created and implemented a new process with a positive outcome, ensure that appears first,” says Morris.

“As a general rule of thumb, put the most important elements in the first two-thirds of your CV.”

 Think about your CV font

An unusual or complicated font design may look fancy. But the suggested resume font is one that covers a few bases.

“It needs to be easy to read, clear - no matter how you format it - and non-distracting, as you want your skills to shine through, not the font,” says Morris. “Consider Arial, Times (rather than Times New Roman), Georgia or Garamond.”
 

 Don’t overshare

Knowing what not to include is just as important as knowing what to include in a resume.

“This isn’t about deceiving the employer; it’s about leaving out irrelevant information so that the CV comes across as focused and professional."

“Examples are computer skills (you are expected to be proficient in key computer programs), salary details (it’s a negotiation tool), references (it will mean that the hiring manager will need to contact you to ask for the referee) and personal information, such as nationality, age, race, marital status and children.”

 Check out resume templates

Should you put a mission statement at the top? What about putting experience first and skills after, or vice versa? “Whatever position you are applying for, resume templates provide guidance on how to present your experience, skills and passions to new employers,” says Morris.

“However, use these templates rather as a source of inspiration and tailor the resume based on the position at hand to create a truly unique and personalised document.”

 Be the best version of you

Most employers are looking for a well-rounded applicant so it’s all right to include some interests, especially if they back up your skills – volunteer or pro bono work are a good example. Short courses you have completed to add depth to your skills may also be relevant.

 Tone matters

Use your judgement about what type of company culture you will fit into – a job application to Google or an advertising agency, for example, will be quite different to a government department or health service. Getting tone, as well as inclusions right, is half the battle with getting that crucial interview with the employer.

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