Resumes, Curriculum Vite or CV, it doesn’t matter what you call them their purpose is the same! As a recruitment consultant I see hundreds of resumes on a daily basis and am aware of what attracts people’s attention and the essential information required to ensure your resume stands out from the crowd. It is so important to ensure that your resume is relevant, accurate and striking as this is considered your first impression to that potential employer or recruiter.

Important information to include

• Personal Contact Details – Please ensure that your address and contact number is included – after all you want to ensure that you can be contacted
• Career Objective – Provide a summary of you career/job intentions as it may not be reflective in your previous experience
• Education – Include in reverse chronological order your education and qualifications. This includes university qualifications and short courses completed
• Professional Experience – Again list in reverse chronological order your professional roles. The important things to remember are to include the start date and finish date of each role (month and year), the company name and job title. Include in a bullet point format your responsibilities in the position – be selective in the responsibilities and points you include. Your duties should reflect the requirements of the position you are applying for. Only include professional experiences for the last ten years, anything prior may be deemed as irrelevant. In addition to the responsibilities in this position you should include in a bullet point format key achievements that you have made whilst in the role. This provides further information to the prospective employer and may just put you ahead of your competition. It is also important to remember that a resume to should read like a story and should ‘flow’ well; this is way it is extremely important to clarify any ‘gaps’ in your background. Gaps may include an extended period off work due to illness, holiday, looking for work, house renovations etc.
• Skills – Include in a bullet point format or a brief summary format your technical skills and personal attributes. This may include particular computer software knowledge or skills that have been mentioned in the job advertisement.

Information not required

• Personal Information – It is not required or necessary to include age, sex, religion, children etc. This information may be used in a discriminatory way against you and the information is not indicative of your skill set and ability to do the position
• Photo – Sometimes photos can make your resume stand out and be noticed -if you are to include a photo ensure it is a professional photo, wear business attire and present yourself in a manner that you would at interview
• Social Media Links – Remember if you include this information it will more than likely to reviewed, therefore ensure that it is professional. Your resume and accompanying information is your first impression to the employer; make sure it’s a good first impression! I advise candidates to make their Facebook profile private and ensure that your LinkedIn profile is up to date and consistent with the information provided in your resume.
• Reference – Advise on your resume that this information will be provided upon request. You should contact your referees prior to them being called and therefore they are aware and prepared for the call.

Remember a resume is your first chance to sell yourself; it should be no more than 4-5 pages therefore make it count!!

Good Luck with the job searching