The Perfect Resume Doesn't Exist, but plenty of bad ones do!

As someone that has gone over 10,000+ resumes over the course of my recruitment career, I can safely say the perfect resume just does NOT exist. I've seen numerous people post up ads saying they will make your resume stand out, but to be honest, it's something you can easily do yourself. I've made a list of all the things that make up a near perfect resume in my opinion. 

1.      Resume Format - Avoid fancy formats with a lot of moving parts. A simple text based format is perfect. The resume should be reverse chronological in nature, meaning recent to oldest. This is a use-able format for anyone interested: https://templates.office.com/en-us/modern-chronological-resume-tm16402488

 2.      Picture - As a general rule, unless your job requires a head-shot, avoid putting in a picture in your resume. Your profile should speak for itself.

 3.      Summary - I've read too many copy paste summaries. If it is not written by you, avoid it. A summary should highlight your entire profile in such a way that if someone were to only read it, they'd know exactly what kind of candidate you are + your strengths. Nothing more, nothing less.

 Avoid phrases like the following:

"Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to assess workflows and meet deadlines.

"I have a proven ability to sustain a strong level of enthusiasm with colleagues and management and perform well in high pressure situations by working hard to deliver valuable contributions to the team.

"A great team player, self-motivated, and resourceful individual with a broad range of knowledge and experience"

"A dynamic, resourceful and driven individual. Team player and able to work individually."

I've read variations of such sentences that it has lost all meaning. Be specific, be concise and highlight your professional strengths. When you're aiming to make your resume stay within 2 pages, every word matters, so use that limited real estate wisely.

4.      Education - If you're a recent graduate, only then should you mention your credentials at first, otherwise, keep them right at the end. If you're still in school/recently graduated, highlight courses/programs/extra circulars that you've done/been part off to highlight your skill sets. If your CGPA is below what is considered good, don't mention it. Meaning don't write a 2.6 CGPA. Omit it. Put your best foot forward.

 5.      Work Experience - Start from the most recent to the oldest experience. Write a short summary of your role and use bullet points to highlight your achievements. Avoid copy pasting your JD in its entirety, recruiters, hiring managers etc know what working at a certain designation entails, instead use numbers to showcase what improvements you brought. This helps evaluate candidates side by side, so you can definitely improve your chances of being shortlisted if you appear to be a more accomplished individual.

 Don't write more than is required. Length is very important. If you must write, the more recent job roles should have more weight-age, not what you did 7-10 years ago at a previous role. Only the most recent 2-3 roles really matter so write/highlight things accordingly. The ideal length of your resume should be 1-2 pages long, not any longer. No one reads past the first 2 pages anyways.

6.      Additional point - Add a LinkedIn profile / Link to a cloud link where your most recent version exists. I say this because sometimes your resume is looked at a much later date and it would be beneficial to have your updated info be available even at a later date. This is why your LinkedIn link also helps.

To wrap up, your resume should have the following:

1. Be easy to read (no fancy format)
2. Have an easy flow (reverse chronological order)
3. Highlight your strengths - preferably via numbers
4. It has to be to the point - avoid irrelevant details

Hope these tips help. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or need me to elaborate or clarify any points.