A good resume is one of the keys to job success. Making a document of this type is not always easy, since it is important to follow some guidelines so that it attracts attention in a selective process.
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Making a perfect resume: task impossible?
Preparing a CV is not always an easy task. Sometimes we can fall into the error of thinking that it simply consists of bringing together our entire professional life on paper, but nothing is further from reality. To do it properly, we will have to follow a series of steps that allow us to achieve a striking, attractive document that is not difficult to read. In addition, it must reflect the milestones and most important aspects of our work career, so that the person who reads it can have a clear and holistic vision of our professional profile.
Among the information included in a CV are personal data, educational background and work experience. In addition, it is also interesting to highlight other skills that we may have (for example, teamwork) and aspects such as the languages that we master or the degree of handling of new technologies. Of course, our resume must collect the most relevant information in relation to the specific position to which we want to apply.
An erroneous belief that is often held regarding the CV is that it should only be taken care of when you are unemployed. However,a good resume can be one of the keys to being able to evolve in our working lives by aspiring to better positions .
Although before being hired you will go through a selection process with interviews and face-to-face meetings, the truth is that the CV will determine the first impression that the company will have of you. Therefore, taking maximum care of its preparation is important so as not to go unnoticed among the candidates. Due to the importance of preparing a quality CV, in this article we are going to give you the clues to create a perfect document whether you are looking for a job or not.
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How can I get the ideal resume?
As we have been commenting, making a resume is not always an easy task. Many times, we venture to make a CV without knowing exactly what minimum requirements this document must meet in order not to be rejected at the first opportunity. To prevent this from happening, here is a list of recommendations to make a perfect resume.
1. Choose a good photo
Do not include in your CV the first photo you can think of. . It should be one in which only your face is seen, never the whole body. In addition, it is important that you go out head-on, avoiding profile images or where your face is not clearly appreciated.
For this same reason, it is essential that you do not appear with accessories such as hats or glasses, since they take away seriousness and do not allow the selector to know well the appearance of the candidate. The idea is that the photo of your CV clearly reflects your appearance without fanfare, because what we want is to convey seriousness and professionalism.
2. Check your personal data
Although this point may seem very basic to you, the truth is that it can often be overlooked. Make sure that all your data is correct and that you have reflected the most important ones. Along with the image you have chosen, you must indicate the most basic, which are your name and surnames and your telephone number and email tag. Try to use a professional email address, do not use personal accounts with funny or informal names, since as we have been saying it is important to convey professionalism.
3. Stay active on Social Media
If as a professional you are active in networks, it is interesting that you indicate the link to them in the section of your personal datatag. Some of them, like Linkedin, are essential to gain visibility. Try to update your profile frequently and try to publish and share content related to your profession.
4. Define yourself
Your CV must always have a title that serves as a header, located below your data. It is important that in this section you indicate clearly, using keywords, what your profession is. For example: lawyer, psychologist, architect… In addition, you must add your specialty or area of performance tag. The objective is that the person who reads your CV can quickly detect what your professional profile is without having to read the entire document.
5. Experience
In this section you must reflect your work experience to date. It is always advisable to capture this aspect first before your academic training. Companies tend to give more value to your professional experiences than to previous education. Not that this isn’t important, but it’s generally always preferable for a candidate to have real-life working experience.
It is important that you order your different professional experiences according to a chronological order, either from the most recent to the most remote or vice versa. In addition, for each position you have held, you must indicate the name of the position, the company to which you belonged, the period of time and a summary of the functions you performed during it.
In principle, the most important thing is to highlight those experiences most related to the position to which you are applying. However, it is common to make the mistake of hiding other jobs that have been carried out, because they are not related to the offer in question. This is not recommended, since the company may perceive as something negative that a candidate has been without a job for a long time.
6. Education
In the CV you must also capture the studies you have done so far. In this case, a rule is fulfilled, and that is that once you indicate the higher studies you should not indicate the previous ones, since they are taken for granted. That is, if you have obtained a university degree, it is understood that you have had to finish high school before. With regard to complementary training, such as courses or postgraduate courses,it is important that you highlight those that are most linked to the job offer to which you apply .
In this section of the document you must also include your knowledge of languages. It is important that you use the European nomenclature to specify the level you have of each of them (B1, B2, C1, C2…). Avoid ambiguities such as indicating that you have an intermediate level, as this will lead to confusion and will not create a favorable impression. In the same way, it is recommended that you do not include languages that you do not speak, since if you advance in the selection process this lack will end up becoming noticeable and will generate a very bad perception of you as a professional.
7. Beware of the extension
A resume must be, above all, an attractive document to look at. To do this,you should avoid having a lot of text, as this makes it difficult to understand your profile with a quick glance. It is about making a schematic summary of your career, which is concise and collects the most important information in relation to the offer in question. The recommended extension is one page, because if you go on too long it is possible that your CV will not survive the first screening of the selective process. Remember, in these cases the first impression does matter.
8. Simplicity
As we have been saying, an attractive CV is one that is easy to analyze with a quick glance tag. In addition to limiting the length, you should also take care of the vocabulary you use. Try not to get too technical or pedantic. On the contrary, it is advisable that you use simple and understandable language. The person reading this document, especially in the early stages of the selection process, does not usually have specific knowledge of your profession, so reading an ornate language can cause rejection.
9. Avoid repeating yourself
This question seems very obvious, but the truth is that repeating information can generate a negative impression on the recruiter who reads your CV. In addition to increasing the length of the resume, itcan give a feeling of neglecttag. For this reason, it is advisable that you review your resume very well before sending it to make sure you do not put duplicate information.
10. Spelling and grammar
Another important aspect has to do with the care of spelling. Remember that you must not present misspellings and your written expression must be adequate. Poor writing creates a feeling of unprofessionalism and denotes that the candidate has not spent time reviewing it. In addition to correct handwriting, it is also advisable touse a typeface that is easy to read tag. Try to use clean letters, without shrillness.
11. Conform to the offer
Although the base of your CV is always the same, it is important that you make a series of adjustments in the document depending on the position to which you are applying. You will need to highlight different information depending on the company’s demand, so it is not advisable to have a unique resume model .
Conclusions
In this article we have discussed the essential guidelines for making a good resume. It is important to take care in preparing this document, since its quality can make the difference between being or not being selected from among many candidates.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.
