How to write a resume?

Put it in another way: yYour resume is your passport to the world of opportunities. Once you've taken the time to put it together "nice and tight" it will open up the gates and will take you to the turmoil of interviews. There are a couple of rules you might need to stick to when creating a resume and it relates both to its structure and its content.

Besides that a good resume is laser-printed in black ink (Word format, Arial or Times New Roman style, font size 10-12) on a good quality white paper and ideally not longer than 2 pages but never longer than 3, one of the most important things to remember is that a good resume is well structured.

Ensure that your resume is concise and easy to read, use bullet points instead of whole sentences and highlight important titles in bold. Stick to the reversed chronological order and put more emphasis on more recent jobs. When describing your experience it is not enough to only list what you have done. It is also important to include what you have achieved. This way employers will be able to deduct what you could do for their organisation. However, do not exaggerate, stay businesslike and use numerals and bullet points to ensure that your resume is well structured. Even if you work for a well-known company it is useful to describe its core activities. Photos are not necessary but if you insist, it must be a passport size photo which gives a good impression of you.

As regards the content, the following points must be included in your resume:
  • Personal details: full name, date of birth, address, e-mail address and all useable telephone numbers
  • Educational history: with full name of your school and faculty in a reversed chronological order. If you've just entered the job market it is useful to include your main courses and the title of your thesis/diploma work.
  • Career history: in a reversed chronological order starting with the most recent. Always include year and month to show that you're exact and avoid leaving gaps in chronology. The name of the company, your position and your main responsibilities should be listed in key words.
  • Language skills: always include your current and active level besides your language exam which in fact might not always reflect your active knowledge.
  • Computer skills; special trainings; driving licence
  • Hobbies and interests: this should be the last and the shortest section
  • References: you can always write "Available upon request"
There are couple of things unnecessary to put into your resume: your religion, the name of your parents and children and your salary expectation.
And last but definitely not least always re-read your resume and ask someone else to check it for you so that you avoid spelling mistakes which you cannot afford when applying for a job.