How to Write Your Resume?

Creating a Resume Step by Step

Before starting to create a resume, it's advised to do some simple preliminary research. Notably, to identify the company's needs and expectations and the required skills for the position. You should also analyze the main keywords used in the job posting. Furthermore, it's recommended to thoroughly understand the company's values.

Even though a resume requires rigor and time, you can follow these key steps to create it easily:

1. Choose a resume format. There are 3 types: chronological, functional, and combined.
2. Include your contact details, personal information, and add a professional photo.
3. Write a compelling hook and use relevant keywords according to the job and company in the resume writing.
4. Highlight your experiences and qualifications. Then, describe your computer, language, and personal skills.
5. Take care of the layout, preferably on a single page, and proofread to avoid spelling mistakes.
6. Download your resume and send it to the recruiter.

Resume Writing: Essential Sections

On a resume, the recruiter should find main sections. Take inspiration from a predefined template and customize it with your own information.

Here's what you must include on your resume:

• Your contact information: this includes your civil status (last name, first name), phone number, postal address, and email. You can also mention your driver's license, links to a portfolio, or your LinkedIn profile.
• A title and hook: indicate the exact job title you're applying for and your professional objectives. These are two essential elements as they give an overview of your profile and what you're looking for. This paragraph encourages the recruiter to continue reading. 3-4 lines are sufficient for this section, to be placed at the top of your resume.
• Your professional experiences: this is a crucial section for recruiters. It allows you to detail your background and demonstrate your know-how. For each experience, describe the missions of your previous jobs by specifying the position held, company name, duration, location, tasks performed, and responsibilities.
• Your education: this is another essential section to include on your resume. It allows you to show your qualifications and acquired technical and theoretical knowledge. You must specify the degree or certification title, institution name, city, date obtained, and a brief description. If you're an experienced candidate who has already held one or several positions, you don't need to include your high school years. The highest degrees are sufficient.
• Your technical and personal skills: to present your profile, listing your skills is necessary. Indicate the most relevant skills according to the recruiter's criteria stated in the job offer. This includes listing your technical, computer, and language skills. Don't hesitate to indicate proficiency levels for software, programs, tools, and spoken languages.

In addition to these sections, you can add your interests. This could include mentioning your passions or extraprofessional activities that might be a real asset for the desired position. This will allow the recruiter to learn more about your personality and differentiate you.

How to Present a Resume Well

Beyond the writing, it's essential to create a neat and harmonious layout. Whenever possible, try to fit all information on a single page. Here are some tips for making a resume pleasant to read, using the various templates provided:

1. Space out paragraphs to avoid giving an overloaded impression.
2. Choose a modern, simple, and easy-to-read font. For example, prefer fonts like Helvetica, Calibri, or Arial with a proper font size (between 10 and 12).
3. Highlight important words in bold.
4. Add 1 to 3 colors to make the resume dynamic.
5. Present your information in list form for better clarity.

10 Mistakes to Avoid for a Successful Resume

You now know how to create a proper resume. To ensure it's free of errors, here are some additional tips on what not to do:

1. Adding an unprofessional profile picture: Avoid selfies, vacation photos, or party pictures.
2. Lying about your experience and skills: This can compromise your credibility and seriously harm your professional reputation.
3. Including too much unnecessary information: This will make the resume heavier and less clear.
4. Copying a resume example without personalizing it: Your resume should reflect your profile and highlight your skills; using a generic template won't help you stand out from the competition.
5. Using generic expressions or statements: Personalize your resume according to the job you're applying for by avoiding generic phrases.
6. Sending a resume in a format unreadable by the recruiter: Prefer PDF format to ensure good readability for everyone.
7. Leaving spelling mistakes: Remember to proofread and have your resume proofread by someone else.
8. Including desired salary: A resume isn't the place for this; the topic will be discussed during the job interview.
9. Not updating your resume: It should reflect your current situation; make sure it's up to date before sending it to the recruiter.
10. Temporal inconsistencies: Ensure that the dates of your professional experiences and education are coherent and precise.