Many job advertisements ask for ‘applications in writing’.  This means that you should send your resume and a covering letter.

A resume should contain basic factual information, including your personal details, education, qualifications and employment details.  Most resumes are speed-read by recruiters in less than 30 seconds, so it’s vital to make your first impression count.

Use your resume as a personal marketing tool and make sure you sell yourself.

Try to limit your resume to one page and make sure all the information is written crisply and clearly.  Although you can keep the basic foundation of your resume constant, remember to tailor it to the job for which you are applying.

Many people write a standard resume and send it to a variety of different vacancies in the one recruitment agency or organisation, and then wonder why there’s little response.  It’s much more effective if you can provide evidence that you are the best person for one particular position.

The job description should give you a good idea of what the employer is looking for in a candidate and the skills, abilities and experience needed.  Arrange the best examples of how you meet their requirements as high up as possible.

The main areas on your resume should be:

• Name and contact details
• Education
• Work experience
• Skills
• Hobbies and interests
• Referees

Helpful hints:

• Keep your resume to one page if possible, two maximum.
• Include a profile with a brief summary about yourself.
• Follow a chronological order – for your employment history it’s best to start with the most recent position and work back.  This is the same for your education.
• Include a driver’s license, if you have one.
• Where possible, try to quantify your achievements.
• Include IT skills, foreign languages and list any professional bodies of which you are a member.
• Include all work experience.

Don't

• Leave any gaps in your experience.
• Include statements such as: “I am a highly motivated individual with strong communication skills,” unless you can provide some supporting evidence.
• Put your resume in a folder or bind it together.  Many companies will want to photocopy your resume and it must be able to fit into their filing system.
• Put your current work telephone number unless you are happy to be contacted there.
• Include any jargon or slang.

Style

There is no set style for resumes.  However, the following guidelines will help you grab the attention of those reading it and will also ensure that it is easy to read.

• Always type your resume – go to your local library if you don’t have a home computer.
• Print each page on a separate sheet and print on one side only.
• Use black ink and on good quality white (A4) paper.
• Don’t try to be clever by using fancy fonts and coloured paper.  Gimmicks will generally distract rather than impress recruiters.
• Stick to the same fonts and headings and keep the overall style consistent.
• Make sure your name and contact details are at the top and easy to read.
• Check and double check spelling and grammar.  Resumes should never contain any errors.  Spelling mistakes will undermine any claims you may have made relating to professionalism and attention to detail.
• Don’t try to cram everything in.  Keep your resume as concise and well-written as possible and remember you still need to leave lots of white space and wide margins so that it doesn't look cluttered