How to Write a Resume
At some point during your college career, the time will come for you to think about life after school. You’ll have to decide what field you want to work in, what job you want and your ideal position. We will guide you through how to format your resume and what to write in each section. All it takes is some dedicated time to sit down and start writing. Armed with this knowledge, you’re one step closer to nailing your dream job or internship.
The Format of a Resume
There are various formats to writing a resume. Some templates you can download and are simple and minimalistic — like this one — while others are more stylistic — like these from enhance cv. (Fun fact: the term CV, or curriculum vitae, is a Latin term that is often used to refer to a resume, especially in Europe.) Whatever style you choose, the basics of writing a good resume are the same. Generally, a resume for your first job should include:
- Short profile of you
- Work experience
- Previous employment
- Education history
- Personal interests
- References
The Short Profile
The short profile is generally 3–4 lines on who you are and what motivates you. Keep it short and simple, but engaging. State what you are currently doing and your hopes for the future. An example of this can be found here.
Previous Work Experience
After your profile, summarize your previous work experience. Concisely describe any main tasks and emphasize your achievements. Try and summarize these in three or four bullet points. The structure should follow:
Employer, position, time-frame
- Responsible for…
- Created and implemented program XYZ…
Education History
Then comes your education. As you build up your professional profile and gain more experience, you can limit this education to the most important qualifications. For a first application, you can include your qualifications, your cumulative GPA, your current expected degree and date of graduation. To list these qualifications the standard format is:
Expected graduation date
Name of institution (school/college/university)
Area of study, GPA
Personal Interests
Your personal interests paint a broader picture of who you are, but should also relate to the job you are seeking. For example, listing sports as an interest demonstrates that you’re a team player who can work well with others and demonstrate leadership qualities. Equally, an interest in blockchain would demonstrate a basic knowledge of IT and financial technologies, while showing that your interests are directly related to a position in FinTech. Any specific skills that you have can be mentioned in this part of your resume.
References
Finally, you have your references. References are optional. Your references should list the name and contact details of someone who can speak on behalf of your skills and capabilities. If you’re short on space, you can leave the references out and provide them in a separate document if your potential employer asks. As to who makes a good reference, remember they aren’t your friends. They’re someone in a position of authority who can back up your performance and skill-set. If you’re attending a university, ask a professor or an advisor. If you have prior work experience, ask a previous employer.
It’s simple as that. Make sure your contact details are all correct and check your resume again for spelling mistakes or, better, ask a friend to look it over. Send the application and cross your fingers. Hopefully, they’ll be impressed by your clearly written and well-formatted resume. We’re sure of it.
Good luck!
