Tips on Writing Your First Resume

Many students struggle when facing the need to write their first resume. If you are one of them, don’t panic! We know for sure that you can easily handle this task if following the useful tips that we have prepared for you in this article.

Things to Do Before Writing Your First Resume

Preparation and research are the keys! Here are some things that you should definitely do before you start creating your first CV:

• Research the niche that you are interested in. Look through the job postings to find out what the most common requirements for the candidates and average wages are.
• Write down the keywords that you meet in these postings. As you want to make yourself stand out from the crowd and impress your future employer, you need to put those keywords in your resume. Search for particular skills and qualities that are commonly mentioned in the postings, so you can point out that you are a good match for that vacancy.
• As you don’t want to mention anything in your resume that you have no clue what that is (we know that sometimes we all want to impress our future employer with a wide majority of skills and software that we can work with), learn as much as possible needed for the niche from professional literature and video guides that can really help you get an understanding of what you need to talk about during your job interview.

After you conclude your research and know what a recruiter will be looking for in your resume, you can start writing.

Keep Your Resume Brief

An average HR specialist receives many resumes daily and has plenty of work to do; that’s why they don’t spend much time reading each one of them. In fact, they are skilled to notice the most important details about the CV and make instant decisions on whether this document is worth considering.

Pay Attention to the Format and Design

It’s crucial to understand that the design of your resume plays a significant role. The way you tailor your resume can affect not only the impression you give but also the readability of your resume. There are specifically designed templates that you can use to craft a perfect resume that is suitable for the niche. For example, if you are applying for the job in design, try some creative options, while for jobs in medicine or finances, stick with more formal ones.

Write Down the Resume Objective

Think of the purpose of the resume that you are writing – one or two sentences that will summarize the information about you and your goal. For example, you can write that you are a diligent student who is seeking for a job in a field of web-design to fulfill your dream, boost your skills, and also bring a lot of creative ideas for the company. The objective mentioned in your resume helps your future employer understand your motivation and goals.

List Your Education and Skills

As it is your first resume and you don’t have work experience to include, it’s important to fill your resume with useful information about who you are, what you know, and what you can do. So, after you start your resume with the basic contact information and the resume objective, list your skills and education.

Education

This is the easiest part – just mention your learning institution, major, any relevant academic achievements, and coursework. You should also put information about internship experience if you have any, extracurricular activities and various projects or competitions that you took part in.

Skills

There are two types of skills that you should put in your resume – hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills, also called technical skills, might vary depending on the field of your work. They might be:

• Technical skills – knowledge of software, programming languages
• Language skills – knowledge of foreign and native languages
• Computer skills
• Marketing skills
• Writing skills
• Management and organizational skills
• Design skills, etc.

Hard skills are basically any skills that are needed for one or another job. When listing them in your resume, make sure to check the job posting before, to find the most common, and, therefore, the most suitable ones. You don’t need to list the skills that are definitely irrelevant to the field.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are the skills that one can describe as the personal traits developed through your academic or work career. They might be:

• Time management
• Diligence and patience
• Ability to work in a stressing environment
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Flexibility and adaptability

When talking about your soft skills, list the most relevant to the vacancy first. Soft skills are as important as hard skills, so be ready to answer various kinds of questions during your interview, including the ones regarding paperwork, routine, stress, etc.

So, now you know how to craft your first resume. And if you need some help, you can request professional help from our team of experts.