Resume Writing Masterclass

Before writing a single word, understand what makes a resume effective: **The Purpose**: Your resume is not a comprehensive career history. It's a marketing document designed to get you an interview. Every word should serve that goal. **The Reality**: Recruiters spend an average of 6-7 seconds scanning a resume. You need to communicate your value instantly. **What Employers Look For:** 1. Relevance to the specific role 2. Quantified achievements (not just responsibilities) 3. Clear career progression 4. Evidence of skills they need 5. Easy-to-scan format **The Key Question**: For every line on your resume, ask: "Does this help me get this specific job?" If not, cut it.

Your professional summary (or profile) is prime real estate—it's often the only thing thoroughly read. **Formula for a Strong Summary:** [Years of experience] + [Job title/expertise] + [Key specializations] + [Most impressive achievement] + [Value proposition] **Example:** "Results-driven Software Engineer with 6+ years building scalable web applications. Specialized in React and Node.js with experience leading teams of 5+. Increased application performance by 40% at [Company], reducing customer churn by 15%. Passionate about clean code and mentoring junior developers."

Your work experience section should demonstrate impact, not describe duties. **The PAR Formula (Problem → Action → Result):** Every bullet point should follow this structure: - What challenge or opportunity did you face? - What did you do about it? - What was the measurable result? **Weak vs. Strong Examples:** ❌ Weak: "Responsible for managing social media accounts" ✓ Strong: "Grew Instagram following from 5K to 50K in 12 months, increasing website traffic by 35%" ❌ Weak: "Handled customer complaints" ✓ Strong: "Resolved 50+ customer escalations monthly with 95% satisfaction rating, reducing churn by 20%" ❌ Weak: "Worked on software development projects" ✓ Strong: "Developed payment processing module handling $2M daily transactions with 99.9% uptime"

Your skills section serves two purposes: passing ATS screening and quickly communicating capabilities to human readers. **How to Structure Skills:** Option 1 - Categorized: Technical Skills: Python, SQL, Tableau, Excel Methodologies: Agile, Scrum, Six Sigma Tools: Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Analytics Option 2 - Prioritized List: Key Skills: Data Analysis • SQL • Python • Tableau • Statistical Modeling • Machine Learning • Data Visualization • A/B Testing **What to Include:** - Hard skills specific to your field - Software and tools you're proficient in - Relevant certifications - Languages (if relevant) **What to Avoid:** - Basic skills everyone has (Microsoft Word, email) - Soft skills as a list (better shown through experience) - Outdated technologies - Skills you can't back up in an interview

**Education Section:** - Include degree, institution, graduation year - Add GPA only if 3.5+ and you're a recent graduate - Include relevant coursework for entry-level positions - Move education below experience once you have 2+ years of work history **Certifications:** List relevant professional certifications prominently. Include the certification name, issuing organization, and year obtained. **Additional Sections to Consider:** - Projects (especially for career changers or those building experience) - Publications (for academic or research roles) - Volunteer Work (if relevant to the role or shows leadership) - Languages (include proficiency level) - Awards & Recognition **What to Leave Out:** - High school (unless you're in high school) - Irrelevant hobbies - References (they'll ask if needed) - Personal information (age, marital status, photo in most countries)

Good formatting makes your resume easy to scan and ATS-friendly. **The Golden Rules:** 1. Use a single-column layout for ATS compatibility 2. Choose professional fonts (Arial, Calibri, Georgia) 3. Use 10-12pt font for body, up to 14pt for headers 4. Maintain consistent formatting throughout 5. Include adequate white space 6. Keep to 1 page (2 max for 10+ years experience) **Section Order:** 1. Contact Information 2. Professional Summary 3. Work Experience 4. Skills 5. Education 6. Certifications/Additional **File Format:** - PDF is standard (preserves formatting) - Word only if specifically requested - Name file professionally: FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf

A generic resume is a rejected resume. Here's how to customize effectively: **Step 1: Analyze the Job Description** - Highlight required skills and qualifications - Note keywords and phrases used - Identify the top 3-5 priorities **Step 2: Map Your Experience** - For each priority, identify relevant experience - Prepare specific achievements that demonstrate these abilities - Note which keywords you can naturally include **Step 3: Customize Key Sections** - Rewrite your summary to address their specific needs - Reorder bullets to lead with most relevant achievements - Add missing keywords to skills section - Ensure job titles and company descriptions are clear **Step 4: Verify ATS Optimization** - Include exact keywords from posting - Use both acronyms and spelled-out terms - Test with an ATS checker **Pro Tip**: Create a 'master resume' with all your experiences, then customize copies for each application.

Before sending, put your resume through these checks: **Content Check:** □ Every bullet point shows an achievement, not just a duty □ Numbers and metrics are included wherever possible □ Content is relevant to the target job □ No unexplained employment gaps □ Contact information is complete and professional **Format Check:** □ Consistent formatting throughout □ No orphan lines or awkward page breaks □ Adequate white space □ Professional font and size □ File saved with professional name **Error Check:** □ Spell-check completed □ Grammar verified □ Dates are accurate and consistent □ Company and school names spelled correctly □ Phone number and email work **Final Steps:** 1. Read aloud to catch awkward phrasing 2. Have someone else review 3. Test in an ATS checker 4. Save as PDF 5. Do a final visual scan