It doesn’t matter if you are a recent school leaver or whether you are thinking of switching careers, sometimes there comes a time in your life when you need to construct or polish up your resume. A resume is the one document that can help you stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs. This concise one pager should be your professional self on a page.

It needs to persuade, convince and show potential employers why they should select you for an interview. But what is the most important part of a resume and which areas should you really be focusing on?

Qualifications

Nearly every employer will cast their eyes over a resume to linger a little longer at the qualifications section. As well as finding out what classification you achieved for your degree, they’ll want to see which college you attended. If you are still in the process of applying, bear in mind that Ivy Select college counselors can help get you into college with their expert guidance and tuition. An individual who has attended Yale, Oxford or Harvard will be at the top of the call back pile.

It’s not simply your qualification from a decade ago that they may be looking at. If you are currently in work, an employer will want to see a continuation of your learning. In-house training and courses show that you remain an eager employee to be at the forefront of new initiatives and methodologies for your chosen sector. It’s even better if you have gone on to design training and deliver this to others.

Along this same vein, if you can note down a recognition of prior learning course from somewhere like OPEC College, your potential employers will be assured that learning is at the heart of what you do. After all, you’re willing to take your experience and spin that into something bigger and better – you’ve taken the chance, and the initiative, to gain another qualification to give you a leg up. Now that’s a sign of star talent.

Experience

While college leavers won’t have a wealth of experience, it’s vital that they can volunteer or shadow experienced professionals to add value to their resume. This shows the skill of networking and getting their foot through the door.

Being resilient and keen to soak up knowledge proves the trait of determination.

If you are in the world of work, ensure that you list your duties in order of importance. Don’t waffle and expand on your achievements. Be quantitative and specific. If you’ve saved the company you work for a whole lot of money, how much did you save, what was your role and how long did it take?

Interests

While having a particular interest won’t get you a job, it may show an employer the sort of person you are. In particular, creative industries often appreciate the slightly kooky and unusual.

• If you are part of a circus skills group, list it. If you do some environmental voluntary work, write it down.

• If you’ve trained for a marathon and raised money for charity, shout about it.

By showing that you have a personality, and you don’t just like movies and reading like everyone else, you may find yourself receiving a call to interview.

A resume is a complex one page document that needs to display you in a nutshell. Focus on these three areas, get the balance right, and you could find your resume opening professional doors for you.

© New To HR