Resume making for the first job could be tough and time-consuming. This is because you are writing for the first time and being fresher, most probably have no or little working experience.
Questions could be many such as where to start from, how to make a resume for first job etc. You need to find answers and draft an impressive resume to excel in the job process.
Process and Tips for Making the First Resume
Select right format and layout
There are mainly three types of resume formats: Reverse-chronological, functional, and hybrid or combination resume. If you are writing your first resume, the functional format is perfect for you.
- The functional format emphasizes achievements and skills, not experience.
- Experienced candidates use reverse-chronological format.
- A hybrid format is a combination of both experience and skill-set.
The most popular format among the three is the reverse-chronological format, recognized around the world.
After choosing the format, decide the font, layout, and structure of the resume. Please go through a couple of crucial points below to understand how to make a resume for first job, an interesting resume for the recruiters:
Make a resume with a two-column layout. This layout offers enough space to write your content.
Don’t use a rare or less common font. Our recommendation is Time New Roman, Ariel, and similar common ones.
Bullets highlight your points. Use them in the education and work experience section to write major achievements.
Keep your resume for one page. This is the resume for the first job, so most probably, you don’t have experience. Experienced candidates can extend a resume up to two pages.
Contact Information
For an impressive resume, it is advisable to include two ways to contact the candidate. One is where you provide a full name, mobile phone number, email id, and location. Another one is your social handles, blog, and any other ways to reach you.
Social channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook etc., are a great way to improve your resume. You must keep your social profiles updated with career changes, job changes, certification etc. Gradually, hiring managers accept social media as an authentic and easy to access ways to scan candidates.
If you are writing a blog or handling a website of your own, this could be a great game-changer for your candidature. Insert the link to the blog with contact information. Make sure your blog content is relevant to the job you applied for. Blogs and websites are very effective for digital marketing and writing-related job roles.
While writing contact information, check spellings, correctness multiple times. Your email address should be active, the mobile number must be accessible, and all the mentioned social channels and blog should be updated
The logic of Address is that several companies want employees from the local area or who reside in the same city.
Resume Objective
According to a recent research paper, hiring managers spend only about seven seconds on a resume. In this span of time, they decide whether to read further or skip for their next resume. It means your resume has only seven seconds to impress HR.
So how to make a resume for first job that encourages recruiters to stay longer on the resume. Resume objective holds the key for grabbing attention for a longer duration.
Write a resume objective in about two to three short and relevant sentences. It should convey your message clearly and summarize the form of what is coming in the resume. Mention all major skills, qualifications, and achievements with relevant keywords as per the job role applied for.
If you want to sound more relevant and confident, insert facts, numbers, and data to prove your points.
Example
Self-motivated and creative fresh graduate with an MBA in Sales and Marketing from Delhi University. Seeking a full-time job in the field of sales and marketing. I have completed an internship with a major FMCG company for three months.
Looking forward to using my marketing skills in market research and analysis at ABC company.
Education Section
Write education in a proper format. As you are writing a resume for the first job, your unique selling point should be education qualification and skills.
Take sufficient space here. Write every major achievement during education in detail. Education, Certifications, participation in the event relevant to the job applied for, and any other accolades.
Describe each of them properly and use bullets to highlight notable points.
Relevant Work Experience
Recruiters are hiring for entry-level job roles, so they are not expecting years of experience from you. You don’t have to worry about the experience when writing the resume for the first job.
To show activeness, leadership skills, communication skills, technical skills, and practical exposure, you should include details of projects, extracurricular activities, and internships.
All of them should be relevant as per the job role.
Hard and Soft Skills
Hard and Soft Skills, both required to perform efficiently in the workplace. Hard skills are technical knowledge such as Java Expert, Adobe Illustrator etc., whereas Soft Skills are interpersonal skills, social skills etc.
Make two columns and think about what soft and hard skills you have. Please write down the list and insert them in the column. You must know that you will need to explain and justify these skills during the face-to-face interview.
So, write only those skills for which you are confident.
Optional Sections
You can include other sections such as multiple language proficiency, volunteering, hobbies, and awards. In some job roles, extracurricular activities can be a great addition. Similarly, multiple language knowledge will be suitable for language-oriented jobs. So, choose as per the job role you are applying for.
Conclusion
Resume writing need not be stressful. Take into consideration all these points and practice writing a resume. Write multiple copies and finalize only when you are completely satisfied with your work. Major checks are format, layout, grammatical checks, spelling check, and relevant objectives and details as per the job description given by the company.
