How to Write a Good Resume That Will Win You Those Interviews

As the saying goes, first impressions last forever. And when it comes to job-hunting, employers form their first impression of you not when they see you in person but the moment they look at your resume. Have you been wondering how to write a good resume that can score you an interview? Read on to find out. 

What Can a Winning and Marketable Resume Do?

“I have had the opportunity to vet thousands of resumes and sat in several recruitment interviews,” says HR professional Steven Ho. “What became obvious was that those outstanding resumes usually get the attention of the HR Manager faster and therefore put them ahead of the rest in terms of getting an interview and of course, the job offer.”

Based on the qualifications and achievements you highlight, your resume can raise your bargaining power when you get a job offer. In other words, a winning resume can help you #SEEKBetter and get your dream job with your desired salary, benefits, and quality of life. 

What Is a Winning Resume?

An outstanding resume answers the following questions, which most resumes do not:

• “Why should we hire you?”
• “What value can you add to our organisation?”
• “How can you best contribute to our company?”

And given that recruitment managers have to sift through piles of resumes, a great resume tells them all they need to know about your qualifications at a glance. 

Types of Resumes

Chronological

This type of resume is the most common and fairly straightforward. It focuses on your work history and lists your previous jobs in reverse chronological order. Under each position, highlight experiences and achievements relevant to the role you want, instead of simply copying your job description. 

Functional

This kind of resume focuses on your skills. If a chronological resume lets you list your previous roles, a functional resume highlights your skills as the headings instead. Then under each, list experiences and achievements where you’ve used those skills. Make sure to include the company you were working for at the time of that achievement.

Combination

As its name suggests, this type of resume combines features of the functional and chronological resume. It starts with a skills and achievements section, followed by an employment history section. 

Creative

Unless you’re applying for a job in the creative industry, try to avoid this kind of resume and stick to simple, traditional fonts and formatting. However, if you work in graphic design, you may want to show off your design skills through colour or infographics. If you work in multimedia, emphasise your editing skills with a video resume. However, note that your creative resume should still prioritise substance over form and uses easy-to-read fonts.

How to Write a Good Resume

Write a killer summary.

Start your resume with a summary of qualifications, consisting of three to five sentences about your career experience. Unless you're a fresh graduate or intend to switch careers, do not start your resume with an objective. “I have observed that many executives, including senior management, tend to overlook this,” says Ho. 

Jobseekers who list their career objectives miss out on the chance to highlight their best attributes right up front. For instance, "10+ years of product marketing experience.”

As you write your summary, survey the company’s mission and vision to understand its values. You can then tailor your statement accordingly. For example, if part of the organisation's vision is to provide excellent service, you can say that you are “service-oriented” or “committed to addressing customers’ needs.”

Include your professional strengths.

Don’t just give general statements. Instead, use keywords or buzzwords that companies and recruiters need to see, such as “Marketing management,” “Cost control,” or “Product training.”

Make sure to optimise your resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS). An ATS is a type of software employers use to screen resumes using skills, traits, or qualifications as keywords. If your resume doesn’t include the keywords specified, then the ATS won’t show it to the recruitment manager. 

You can determine which skills to list on your resume by checking the job ad. For example, if the job ad says that the company is looking for someone who is “data-driven, collaborative, and proactive,’ you can list these as keywords under your resume summary. Then, in your work history, briefly state how you employed these skills.

Highlight your achievements. 

Be clear and specific about what you have accomplished under different job positions or titles. Don’t just state your job duties and responsibilities but go a step further to show the impact or results of what you have accomplished for the organisation. 

Wherever possible, quantify your achievements. For instance, if you increased sales by 80 per cent, make sure to include this.

List your educational qualifications.

Having written your job responsibilities and achievements, you should present your educational qualifications and training. The most common practice is to state the degree earned, the name of your university, and the year you graduated. 

Be true to what you say. For example, if you completed a three-year course but did not graduate, do not say that you have gotten the qualification. And if you’ve attended many workshops over the years, then narrow them down to the ones relevant to the job for which you’re applying. 

Don’t forget to proofread.

Put some effort into ensuring the overall layout or presentation of your resume has good visual appeal. Format your resume well. Choose professional typefaces such as Helvetica or Arial, and make sure the text is big enough to read – at least font size 12. 

Also, avoid cramming too much on one page, and proofread to ascertain there are no typos. The overall effect should be that your resume projects professionalism and a touch of class.

Remember that your resume ought to be a “marketing masterpiece” and not just a mere collection of past histories. Your resume is the first point of contact that determines if you should receive an interview. It is therefore crucial to put your best effort into creating a positive and lasting first impression.

Now that you know how to write a good resume, check out this simple resume template that is free to download, along with the sample resume below. Then get ready for your interviews by using our interview practice tool. For easy access, download JobStreet’s app on Google Play or the App Store.