Creating an Interview-Winning Résumé

A résumé is intended to show potential employers why your experience and qualifications make you the best candidate for the job. Your résumé should objectively showcase content about what your experience was, what you believe your accomplishments were, and what you have contributed to previous employers. A résumé should be written in an impersonal tone while its content is very subjective.

Résumés should only be one-or-two pages long. Screen out items that are not relevant to the position you are applying for. Structure your content for the most impact, carefully writing each sentence to highlight past accomplishments. Format the layout to be visually appealing. Select a résumé format that best highlights your strengths and makes you stand out as a candidate.

Three main résumé formats are:

Reverse chronological résumé:
Listing the candidate’s work experience starting from the most recent job, showcasing a natural career progression.

Functional résumé:
Listing a candidate’s experience by skill set. These are most used when a candidate decides to switch career fields or has held many different types of jobs during their career.

Hybrid résumé:
A combination of the reverse chronological résumé format and the functional résumé format. A hybrid résumé format hosts two sections; one dealing with skills and one section with work experience.

Time and effort are two key components required when writing a good résumé. It requires reflection of your past, and it’s a long process that does not allow for shortcuts. Your résumé serves as the foundation for the rest of your job search. You will refer to your résumé as you write your cover letter and you will use it to prepare yourself for a job interview. Taking the time, you need to create a robust résumé is worth the effort and reflects your ambitions.

A strong résumé will open the door to numerous interview opportunities. Use these tips to create an interview-winning résumé:

Research your market:
Browse through jobs and find out exactly what skills and experience your target employers are looking for.

Format and structure:
Use a simple font, divide sections clearly, and break text up into small paragraphs or bullet points.

Write an effective introduction:
Sell yourself in your profile. This is the first thing that the employer will see. Showcase relevant talents that will draw employers in for more.

Structure roles properly:
Bullet point previous job responsibilities to show the positive impact that you have made at previous organizations.

Adapt your education:
Detail your education if you are an experienced candidate. If you are new to the workforce, beef up your résumé with a more detailed education section.

Interests are optional:
Only include interests if they are relevant to the job you are applying for or if they have produced impressive achievements.

Check to perfection:
Triple check your résumé for grammar mistakes and formatting errors before taking it to the job market.