A guide to writing a successful resume

Your resume is your chance to get your foot in the door and gain an interview, it is the essential link between yourself and the potential employer and as such, it should stand out from the crowd. An important point to remember is that the employer will probably receive hundreds of resumes for positions they offer so while you need to impress, you also need to do this in a limited amount of space.

The employer won’t want to go reading through a couple of pages or more for each resume they receive, they simply haven’t got the time. Keep your resume short, preferably no longer than one page and keep it organised and to the point.

Essential tips for the perfect resume

* Include your full name.

* Include your landline and mobile phone numbers for contact.

* Include any previous work experience.

* Include any qualifications you have received in order by latest date.

* Include short references from previous employers.

* Include any language skills or technical skills you think are relevant or that make you stand out from the rest.

These are the essentials that go towards making a clear and concise resume, you should always make it easy on the eye and clear to read or leaf through while highlighting your best qualities and achievements. Other tips for a good resume are:

* Keep it short and simple – a lot of employers might not even bother to read your resume if they have to leaf through several pages.

* Always start with your most recent history – this is what most employers will be interested in, they wont be concerned how long you worked in MacDonald’s for when you first left school, the most recent history should come first.

* Consistency – consistency is essential, keep the style and fonts the same throughout with no fancy fonts and keep an eye on points such as dates, for example if you start out writing them in the form 07.12.62 then don’t suddenly switch to 7th December 1962 half way through.

* Take care with the layout – you should leave some space and good margins at the sides, top and bottom.

* Good presentation – when you print your resume out check to make sure there are no mistakes and that the fonts are clear and easily readable only use the highest quality paper and ink.

* Listing previous experience – When listing previous experience mention what you gained from the job, what you enjoyed about it and how you contributed towards it.

* Special skills – If you have any special skills in computing, using software or any other skill you think is relevant to the position or might impress then mention them.

* Don’t over inflate your achievements – while you want to show yourself in the best possible light you also don’t want to come over as bigheaded, state what you are capable of but don’t overdo things.