Top Tips for Writing A Winning Resume
With the ICT industry continuing to evolve and expand, the demand for telecom engineers, IT professionals, project managers and other important team members has never been greater. And with the new year upon you, this could be the perfect to time to get your resume in order so if the opportunity arises then you are ready for your next career evolution.
Writing a resume can seem like a daunting task, particularly if your newer to the industry or if you are looking to change jobs after a long time at the same company. Here are some top tips for writing a resume that stands out and lands you your next job.
Decide On A Resume Format
One of the most important things to decide on, before you begin writing your resume, is which format you are going to use. There are 3 basic formats which are most common: Reverse Chronological, Functional, or Combination.
The Reverse Chronological format is the most common and tends to be the most appropriate for most people. With this format, you list your work history, with your most recent job listed first.
The Functional format focuses on skills instead of chronological work history, by grouping experience under skill categories. This type of resume tends to be most used by people who either have a lack of experience (for example, students or recent graduates) or those who are seeking to change careers.
The Combination format uses a mixture of both chronological and functional formats. As well as featuring some chronological work history, it also includes a very detailed skills section. However, this type of resume is typically used only by highly skilled and experienced job seekers who have a specialized set of skills.
Resume Layout
- Ideally, your resume should be only 1 page.
- It should have clear Section Headings, which are all the same sized font (usually 14-16 points is a good size).
- Similarly, you should also use a font which is easy to read, such as Times New Roman or Calibri.
- For the rest of the Text, aim to use a font size of 10-12 pt.
- Use simple lines and ensure that there is plenty of white space, particularly around the margins, to make it look neat and organized.
Contact Information
You need to include your full name, telephone number, and email address. Mailing addresses are no longer required because most job applications are now handled via email. However, it is useful to include your location. You can also choose to include links to your LinkedIn profile, as well as any other social media handles or websites, if these are relevant and appropriate.
Introduction
There are 2 styles most typically used: a Resume Summary or a Resume should highlight your previous experience and past achievements. Make sure to include a range of hard and soft skills, as well as your top 1 or 2 achievements or core responsibilities, including specific metrics, if possible.
A Resume Objective is better suited to those who may lack in-depth experience in the industry. It should be 2-3 sentences long, and provide an overview of your qualifications and skills. You should also include a sentence about why you are interested in the position and what you will bring to the job.
Experience
When listing your job history, it’s important to list your previous employment from the most to the least recent. For each job, you should include your job title, the company name and location, as well as the dates of your employment.
You should also include 3-5 bullet points outlining your main duties and achievements at each job, including any measurable accomplishments. Beginning each point with a strong action verb helps prospective employers immediately get a better sense of your accomplishments and abilities. If you have little work experience, focus instead on your skills and other relevant experience, including any volunteer work you have done.
For telecom engineering jobs, you want to highlight any duties you have undertaken that apply to the needs of the company you wish to join. So, do your homework. Also, share specific examples of how you solved technical issues that relate to the pain points of the telecommunications company for which you want to work.
Skills Section
You want to demonstrate a combination of hard and soft skills, as well as any specific technical skills. Hard skills are quantifiable abilities, whilst soft skills refer to more personal abilities, including social and communication skills.
For most ICT/Telecom companies, the essential skills most sought after include engineering, project management, leadership, organizational skills, attention to detail, highly effective communication skills, and teamwork, as well as strong technical expertise. Make sure to highlight your knowledge and experience in NetDev Ops, project management, Six Sigma training, and more. You can break this section up into categories and list the relevant skills within each section.
Education Section
Make sure you list the degree(s) you’ve earned, the name of the university, and the years you attended. You can also choose to include any honors, minor degrees, and academic achievements.
Tailor Your Resume To Specific Positions
Ensure that you read through the job advertisement carefully and highlight any occupation-specific nouns and skills-related keywords included. You can then insert these throughout your resume (for example, in your resume summary, work experience, and skills sections). This will help to optimize your resume and show that you are well-suited to the advertised job.
Proofread And Review Your Resume
Once you have written your resume it’s crucial that you review and proofread it, looking out for any typos or spelling mistakes. You can use a range of online tools, such as Resumention, Paper Fellows, State Of Writing or Boomessays, to help ensure that your resume is as good as it can be. You can also print it out to check the formatting, and re-read it at different times of the day to spot any errors you may have previously missed.
You’re Hired!
Above all, ensure that your resume directly addresses the requirements stated in the job posting or ad. Then, do some more homework. Learn as much as possible about the company, their pain points — and how YOUR skills can help them succeed.
For more information, email [email protected] and follow Emily on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmilyUHenry.
