Creating Resume that stands out

“Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.”                                                                                                                   —Antoine de Saint Exupéry

This Thursday (12th May, 2022), we had an awesome discussion during our community Discord event. The event was about "Resume Review". various community members shared their resume for a review. Check out what were the common mistakes and some piece of advice. An HR usually spend an average of 6 seconds on a resume, so better make those 6 seconds count.

Common Mistakes

• Images - Using images in your resume is NOT an added advantage, so refrain from doing so.
• Missing links - Whenever referring to your projects in resume, try to include GitHub /Live deployment links. Most people fail to do so and gives a wrong impression  to HR manager.
• Inconsistent dates - Inconsistency in dates related to education, internship and jobs is a big red flag that lands suspicion on your resume.
• Improper formatting - Most resumes are not properly formatted Using different fonts and font sizes makes it look unprofessional.
• Inaccessible - everything good with a resume but what's the benefit if a recruiter is unable to access it, so keep your resume link open with public access.

Reorganizing Resume

When you are being judged based on a single page, better make that paper be worth it. Here are a few tips that will be helpful

• Make links clickable - Whether you are sharing your social media or your projects, always make your links clickable. It saves recruiters' time and earns you brownie points.
• Have a title - Include one short title text right after your name to summaries your experience, such as "Pre-final year student @ xyz college."
• Experience - If you have more than 3-4 internships or work experience, try to club them to reduce space without losing value.
• Skills - Do not use charts/meters/percentages to describe your skills; instead, you can arrange them all in descending order of expertise. Keep your best foot forward.
• Research - Before applying, try to look out for resumes of folks who nailed the same opportunity as you. Observe it and try to deduce what it is, "What HR wants." Try to improvise your resume accordingly.
• Different versions - If you are applying for more than one job role, try to have different versions of your resume, each tailored for a particular job role.

Now you know what mistakes we commonly do and how to solve them. But what's next?

There will be many folks having similar experiences and projects, so one definitely needs to stand out. You should develop your own unique existence and let the world know about it. This can be done by networking, creating content, and simply being you. Don't try to copy someone, rather take inspiration and grow.

I hope you liked it😊. Join us every Thursday for more such amazing events. we'll be waiting in the lounge. Come join our Discord now!