An effective up-to-date resume plays a vital role in your job search. The following easy to follow tips will help you make your resume more effective.

Step I - The Basics
• Take time to do a self-assessment on paper.
• Sketch out on paper everything from your work experience to extra-curricular activities.
• Prepare a web page that should reflect your professional ambitions.

Step II – Preparation of Content
• Contact Information
o Contact information at the top of the resume
o Do not use any nicknames.
o Choose an email address that sounds professional.
o Include your web page address.
• Career Objective
o Be specific about what job are you looking for. For example, mention the aim clearly as ‘to obtain a managerial position within a financial institution that requires strong analytical and organizational skills’.
o When you apply to different companies, tailor this objective to match the job you seek.
• Summary
o Give the big picture of what you do in brief. For example, ‘A post graduate in English and a freelance content writer with two years of experience’.
• Key Competencies
o Design the list of your key skills and abilities in a way that it should target the job you are applying for.
• Education and Training
o Show you have the educational qualification to do the job.
o Include your most recent educational qualification and subjects you have studied that are relevant to the position.
• Work Experience
o Give the employer a brief overview of work that has taught you skills.
o Use action words, such as achieved, acquired, assembled, collaborated, conducted, developed, implemented, motivated, organized, trained etc to describe your job duties.
o Include your work experience in reverse chronological order. Put your last job first and work backward to your first, relevant job.
o Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and achievements.
o Specific skills should include communication skills, Teamwork skills, Analytical skills, Computer skills, organizational skills etc.
• Activities and Interests
o Design this section in such a way that the employer could build a picture of you.
• References
o Do not include your reference information on your resume. You may note at the bottom of your resume, "References furnished on request."
Step III - Revision and Review
• Run a spell check
• Do a grammar review.
• Proofread
Step IV – Formatting and Design
• A4-size, white or off-white paper
• Font size – 12
• Font face - Arial
• No italic or underline words
• No graphics, no shading, no horizontal or vertical lines
• Give your resume a simple and professional look

Most people do not pay the requisite attention to writing out a well formatted, clear resume; consequently missing many job offers. Remember, you are just four steps away from an effective, up-to-date resume.


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