How to Prepare a Perfect Resume?

Many youngsters lose out on job opportunities due to basic resume mistakes. It is necessary to know how to write a perfect resume and a good cover letter internship as well as jobs. Are you wondering how to write a resume letter? Want to know the difference between cv and resume? Read our article to know more about it.

When you are a young adult trying to get a job, resumes can be the equivalent of the frustration you feel filling out your FAFSA in high school. Resumes are pretty important when it comes to getting a good job. They affect an employer’s decision to interview you.

What is a resume? 

A resume is a potential employer’s first impression of who you are and what kind of employee you will be. Some people’s resumes can deter them from or get them into an interview.

Also, your resume will help dictate the kind of questions you are asked in the interview. Every word you write on your resume counts. So it’s critical to be careful while preparing your resume.

According to sources, each corporate job offer attracts 250 resumes. Of those, 4 to 6 candidates are called for an interview, and only one among them will get the job.

Hence, it is very essential to know what should and should not go into your resume. Having a great resume can help put your foot in the door of your dream job. Without further ado, let’s talk about how to prepare the perfect resume!

Difference Between CV and Resume

Apart from knowing what is a resume, you should also know the difference between a CV and a resume. Very often most of us feel CV and Resume are the same and we fail to understand the difference.

The three major differences between CVs and resumes are the length, the purpose, and the layout.

What Are Some Common Mistakes When You Write A Resume Letter?

As per a 2018 survey conducted by the hiring site TopResume, 70% of employers said that resume mistakes are deal-breakers. Here are some common resume mistakes:

1) Misspellings and grammatical errors

One of the most common resume mistakes is with regard to spelling and grammar. This is very common among freshers. These typos give a bad first impression. Additionally, the employer may interpret it as a sign of poor attention to detail.

2) Inconsistencies

Another common error is inconsistency in dates and other information. Inconsistencies with regards to your previous employment, education, internships, etc should be corrected. Hence, it is necessary that you keep this in mind when you write a resume letter.

3) Outdated Layout

There is one common layout that almost 80% of the candidates around the globe use. Employers are tired of looking at the same old layout. Remember, your resume layout is the first chance to grab the employer’s attention.

Therefore use an attractive template. However, don’t go crazy with creative fonts and colors. Resumes need to look clean, sophisticated, and neat. Too many colors and different fonts, as well as sizes, is equally off-putting.

4) Too Long or Too Short

Your resume needs to highlight the important and relevant information about your life. However, it is not a place to write long essays and descriptions. Many candidates submit resumes that go up to 4 to 5 pages. Ain’t nobody got time to read that!

Hiring managers do not have the time to read the whole thing. Therefore, make sure you fix long resumes, eradicate the irrelevant information, and keep only the necessary stuff on it.

Similarly, short resumes are also at the risk of being rejected. They give the impression that you don’t have a lot to bring to the job. In short, make sure your resume is around 2 pages.

5) Lack of specifics

Another common mistake in resumes is being too vague. Don’t simply use words like ‘Knows Computers’, ‘Worked At A Restaurant’, etc. on your resume. Rather, be specific with what you know.  Vague resumes are a waste of space, unhelpful, and simply confusing.

6) Too Much Unnecessary Information

Many freshers who lack job experience try to fill their resumes with unnecessary information just to make it look fuller. Moreover, they end up putting things like favorite stuff, childhood victories, etc. on their resumes.

Employers don’t care whether you like watching rom-com or drama. Nor do they care if you won the pie-eating competition when you were 9 years old. Hence, avoid cluttering your resume with unnecessary details.

7) Wrong Objective

Career objectives are very common on resumes. 40 percent of employers prefer to see a well-constructed and accurately written resume objective. However, they are just lines that are copy-pasted from some websites on the internet. Very little thought is put into them. As a result, many candidates end up having the same career objective.

Moreover, many candidates may end up copying the wrong career objective. For example, if they are applying for a teaching job, they end up writing an objective with reference to the banking sector.

8) False and Wrong Information

Lying on a resume is very common. A survey by AuthBridge states that 1 out of every 6 job applicants lies in a resume. Most of the candidates lie about their work experience and educational details.

Similarly, there are many candidates who also write down false information about references, skills, date of birth, and sometimes even address. 4,352 Job applicants provided fake IDs like Pan, Voter ID, passport, and Aadhaar.

9) Incorrect contact information

Similarly, incorrect contact information is very commonly found on most resumes. People forget to update their email addresses, contact details, and residential address on the resumes.

10) Skipping Out Important Details

Lastly, some people may end up leaving out important details from their resumes. This may not be done intentionally.  However, it can surely hurt your resume and interview.

Additionally, it is important that you attach a cover letter along with your resume. If you are wondering how to write a cover letter for your resume, don’t worry. When you write a cover letter, remembering to talk about how you found the opening, why you want the job, and how you are the perfect candidate for the job.

Similarly, it is important to write a cover letter for an internship too. Many feel internships are just a short time gig and it is not necessary to write a cover letter. However, this short-time gig can help you get a full-time employment opportunity. Hence, it is necessary that you write and attach a cover letter for an internship job as well.

How to Prepare a Perfect Resume?

If you have made resume mistakes in the past and lost out on opportunities, you are not alone. However, you don’t need to worry. For every resume mistake, there’s a remedy. Here are some things that you need to keep in mind when you write a resume letter:

1. Don’t put everything on your resume.

Preparing a resume can be overwhelming. You should start by writing down your experience and skills relevant to the job and show how the employer can benefit from adding you to the team.

There is no need to mention the list of every job you have ever had and a list of all the skills that you possess in your resume. Having an oversaturated resume can be a turnoff to a lot of potential employers. So keep your experience only related to the job you are applying for.

2. Keep it simple. (Remember when you write your resume letter)

A simple resume can also be perfect and impress the recruiter. You do not have to use big fancy words or print your resume out on pink paper to get someone’s attention. Going over the top can have the opposite impact than you’d think. It is important to just keep things simple and easy to read. Remember this when you write a cover letter for an internship too.

3. Use the only important contact info

Your phone number and email address are important and good ways to contact you. However, placing your address and emergency phone number is a little excessive even before joining a company. Be sure to give the recruiter the best ways to contact you where they are most likely to reach you.

Eg. Sharing your LinkedIn profile will help your recruiter to contact you easily after the interview.

4. See how you can elaborate on accomplishments.

Let recruiters know where you have shined in the past and how you believe you can shine in the future. Look at your list of accomplishments and anyway you can go into detail while still being simplistically transparent, the better.

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5. Use chronological order… backward.

This makes it easier for the employer to read. Place your most recent experience at the top and just continue to go back with relevant experiences in the past. It also helps speak to your most recent experience with the job you are trying to get.

I have had employers tell me that they only look at the last three jobs you had on your resume to decide whether or not you were experienced enough for the job.

6. Dates for education are not necessary.

A perfect resume is void of unnecessary information. If you have your degree, then you have your degree. What is most important is that fact and your experience. You don’t need to list when it is that you graduated from your schooling or which majors you took.

7. List as many relevant skills as you can.

Research what this company needs and slightly match it to the skills you have. Some websites help people who need skills that are great to list on resumes and you can look through them there.

• Websites like TheBalanceCareers and Indeed can give you detailed information on this topic.
• Best Companies That Offer Internships For College Students.

8. Use years for work history to cover gaps.

If you’ve gone a few months without a job, it may benefit you greatly to place the year you worked instead of the month. That helps cover what may look like any form of instability and cover those gaps in work that we all know employers look at and tend to ask us about.

9. Explain a long gap. (Remember when you write your resume letter)

If you have gone longer than a year without work, explain that in your resume. If you were at school or taking care of your family, it will go a long way if you can explain why you went for a long period without working. This helps with the way you are perceived by the potential employer.

10. Proofread, proofread and proofread!

This is a big thing while preparing a resume that is overlooked too much. Proofreading your resume helps you buffer out all of those pesky mistakes and typos. I once received a resume that included a personal assistant’s experience as a dancer. When I interviewed her she told me that she didn’t mean to include that in her resume.

Now, it wasn’t a huge deal but everything else pointed to her qualifications as a personal assistant. A lot of employers will only see the mistakes. It’s sad but true. Better safe than sorry.

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11. Constantly keep it refreshed.

It is important to stay on your toes to have a perfect resume. Be sure to add new experiences to your resume as they come and periodically go and refresh it so that you are always ready to go. Even if you are currently working, it is always a good idea to be refreshing your resume and making sure it is accurate to your current skill level.

Now that you know what you SHOULD do, we are going to dip into a few things that you definitely should NOT do to have a positive impact on your future employer before getting called in for an interview.

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Things To Avoid When You Write Your Resume Letter

• Writing an objective statement.

When I was in high school I was taught that objectives were important while preparing a resume. Now, they are seen as unnecessary and just fluff to your resume. You don’t need an objective.

All it does is prevent the future employer from getting to the qualifications and things that will make them decide whether or not to give you an interview.

• Briefing your hobbies is unnecessary.

While it is true a lot of employers ask about what you like to do for fun, they don’t necessarily want to read about it in your resume. If the hobby doesn’t relate to how you are qualified for this job then you should just leave it out.

• Saying things that aren’t true.

Lying on your resume in any big or small way is probably the worst thing you can do. If you list certain skills, they will expect you to perform on those skills while on the job. Not having integrity will likely get you fired once you prove that you are not capable of doing the things you said you were.

It is bad and unprofessional. Be honest. Say what your strengths are and be transparent about your weaknesses. You could always learn new skills, but it looks good when you’re honest.

Final Words 

In conclusion, avoiding these few things will make a huge difference while preparing your resume. It may sound like a lot of information but in actuality, a resume is just your qualifications on paper.

All you have to do is format it correctly, proofread and it is finished. It only seems stressful because of its necessity for work. Similarly, don’t forget to write a cover letter and attach it with your resume for an internship as well as a full-time job.

When you write a resume letter, the cards can be in your favor. Additionally, understand the difference between cv and resume. See what the employer is asking of you. Avoiding resume mistakes can help you get your dream job.

When was the last time you updated your resume? Do you have any tips on do’s and don’ts for writing one? What changes in your resume landed you in a job? How would you write a good cover letter for an internship? Comment your thoughts down below!

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