A quality resume must correspond to your professional project. It should also reflect your personality. Take a step back before writing. Your resume should grab attention visually first and in content second. This document is the main asset that you will put forward in your search for a job that suits you, in addition to the personalized cover letter. Discover 10 tips for a successful Curriculum Vitae.
1- Optimize the layout
The page must be airy and readable. The resume must highlight your strengths without being too overloaded. It is important to organize the headings well, to write in a simple font, to put light colors, a neutral background, preferably white, etc. You don’t need to know the basics of design to write a good resume that is visually appealing. Help yourself to the many free resume examples downloadable on the Internet to find the right layout. You can customize them to your liking and experiment as many times as needed.
2- The resume, your business card
Your resume must be unique, but certain information must be included. You must very clearly distinguish your identity at the top of the page with your first and last name, your exact address, your telephone number, and your e-mail address. The question of the photo divides. Is it mandatory? The answer is no, there is no law to attach a photo to the resume, but it would be appreciated by the recruiter. It is always possible to make an anonymous resume, but for many recruiters, your photo helps memorize your application and your profile during the sorting phase.
3- Don’t miss the title
A professional and impactful resume must have a title. This is usually found in the ad, you just have to identify it well and reconstruct it well. Avoid a title that is too slow, which the recruiter will find difficult to read. Also, ban vocabulary that is too familiar or not in line with the position to be filled. The title should be short and explicit, such as “Senior Web Editor”, “Political Journalist”, “Lawyer at the Court of…”, etc.
4- No to too personal information
Some information does not have the legitimacy to appear on a resume, especially if it is not likely to highlight you concerning the position you are applying for. It is therefore very important, for example, to properly gauge the areas of interest to be indicated on the resume, the marital status, the number of dependent children, etc. depending on the company and the position.
5- Classic or original resume?
In the race for employment and new technologies, in particular thanks to the many design resume models, it can be difficult to choose between a sober CV and an original CV. It all depends on the sector of activity of the company in the first place, but nothing also prevents you from letting your creativity speak, regardless of the field. Either way, don’t overdo it. A resume regardless of its ” model” should not hide incompetence in the position to be filled or should not be too humorous.
6- What to include in professional experiences?
Are all professional experiences equal in a CV? The answer is no, mentioning your entire career is not always a good idea, especially if you already have a very long professional experience behind you. In this case, delete everything that relates to your internships and your summer jobs. On the other hand, if you have followed a linear career path, always in the same sector, it may be wise to mention everything to show your expertise and your commitment.
7- A good “skills” section
In the skills section, there are professional skills of course, but also behavioral skills. Here again, everything must be written according to the stakes of the position to be filled. This section must succeed in capturing the attention of the recruiter. Then enhance your knowledge throughout your professional experience, whether they are transportable – that is to say, which can “stick” to any position – or whether they are specific to the desired position. Behavioral skills should highlight your ” other” abilities, such as creativity, if you are applying for a communications company, for example, or flexibility, if the job requires it.
8- The centers of interest in the question
This topic should never be underestimated. It is certainly secondary in the resume but allows your potential employer to properly gauge your personality. Your areas of interest will also differentiate you and will attract the attention of the recruiter. Volunteering activities, sports activities, and activities that revolve around well-being and better living are all examples of areas of interest that can make you stand out on your resume.
9- Print your resume before sending it
Digital channels are now the most used to send CVs at a time when almost all the recruitment process is dematerialized. But to have a final overview of the document, it is important to print it and reread it to identify any typos that some recruiters do not forgive. Printing the CV before sending also makes it possible to visualize the layout as a whole, being a very indispensable visual point. You need to make sure your resume is readable and clear to any reader.
10- Analyze your CV before sending
This analysis consists of comparing your CV to the job description. You should extract the significant data in the ad to check if it is well reflected in your resume. The Internet has many applications designed for this purpose that you can download for free. These are sorts of digital reading grids that will analyze the most important criteria to put in your CV according to the position and the requirements that are indicated in the job description.
