By Alqasim Ahmad

A resume is a document that summarizes your background, skills, and qualifications for a specific job. A good resume can help you stand out from other candidates and get the attention of employers. A CV (curriculum vitae) is a similar document, but it is more detailed and often used for academic or research positions.

Here are some steps on how to draft a good resume or CV:

1. Choose the right format for your situation:

There are three main resume formats most job seekers use today. Each format arranges the parts of the resume differently, with the goal of helping you lay out and emphasize the most compelling parts of your professional background.Those three formats include the:

• Chronological resume

In a chronological resume, your work experience is featured just after your contact details and a short introduction. The experience section starts with your current or last job at the top, followed by previously held positions from most recent to least recent.

The chronological format is the best choice for the majority of job seekers because it’s easy to understand, and demonstrates a clear career progression

• Functional resume

A functional resume (or “skills-based” resume) focuses on your relevant skills rather than your work experience and job titles.

Instead of listing out your work history, the functional resume format organizes your top professional skills into categories. Your resume bullet points under each category provide examples that illustrate the ways you’ve applied those skills at work, school, or in your personal life.

The functional format is useful if you have large employment gaps, or are writing a resume for a career change and want to shift attention away from your lack of professional experience.

• Combination resume

As its name suggests, the combination resume format (otherwise known as a hybrid resume) mixes the most significant features of both a chronological and functional resume.

Specifically, combination resumes include both a long technical skills section and a detailed work experience section.

Combination resumes are arranged in a way that best suits candidates with a lot of experience and a well-developed, specialized skill set to showcase.

2. Include your name and contact information at the top of your resume or CV. 

As its name suggests, the combination resume format (otherwise known as a hybrid resume) mixes the most significant features of both a chronological and functional resume.

Specifically, combination resumes include both a long technical skills section and a detailed work experience section.

Combination resumes are arranged in a way that best suits candidates with a lot of experience and a well-developed, specialized skill set to showcase.

3. Write a summary or objective statement that summarizes your value as a professional.

Hiring managers, especially those at large companies, have many applications to review for each job opening. With so much competition, it can be tough to make sure your resume gets the attention it deserves.

To stand out to the hiring manager, you need to communicate why you’re the right person for the job as quickly as possible. That’s where a convincing resume introduction comes into play.

Your resume introduction provides a quick snapshot of your experience, skills, and qualifications at the very top of your resume. It should be 3–5 sentences, and can be written in either sentence or bullet-point format.

Today, most job seekers use the following types of resume introductions:

Resume summary

A professional resume summary is an introduction that highlights your most impressive achievements and skills.

Resume summaries are ideal for candidates with:

• several years of relevant work experience
• accomplishments that can be tied to actual numbers (which give context to those accomplishments)

Resume objective

A resume objective (or career objective) focuses on your professional goals and career path, and how they match the company’s goals. For this reason, a resume objective is ideal for candidates who:

• have just graduated from school and lack professional experience
• are changing careers or writing a resume to apply for an internal position

Here’s the formula for putting together an effective resume objective:

4. List your work experience and accomplishments in reverse chronological order. 

For each position, include the name of the employer, the location, the dates of employment, and your job title. Use bullet points to describe your main responsibilities, achievements, and skills. Use action verbs and quantifiable results to showcase your impact.

5. Showcase your skills that are relevant to the job.

 You can list your skills in a separate section or include them in your work experience section. You should mention both hard skills (such as technical or language skills) and soft skills (such as communication or teamwork skills). You can also include any certifications, licenses, or awards that demonstrate your skills. 

The skills section of your resume gives employers an at-a-glance view of the job-related hard and soft skills that qualify you for the role.

Hard skills are learned through specific training, workshops, work experience, or school and include the skills you need to operate equipment at work (like point-of-sale systems).

Soft skills relate to your personality, and you develop them by simply interacting with others and accomplishing daily tasks at work. Organizational skills like coordination and self-management are good examples of soft skills valued by employers.

Top skills for your resume

Include a mix of hard and soft skills when you include your professional skills on your resume to show employers you have a balance of technical savvy and the ability to work well with colleagues and clients.

Some of the top skills to highlight on your resume include:

• Analytical skills
• Communication skills
• Computer skills
• Customer service skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Leadership skills
• Language skills

 How to list skills on your resume

You’re likely not an expert at every skill you list on your resume. So how do you communicate your exact skill level to employers?

For hard skills like Adobe Photoshop, consider indicating your rough level of skill. This indication can either be written (e.g. “Photoshop – Intermediate”) or a visual graphic like a skill bar or graph.

Include skills throughout your resume

To make the most impact, expand on your skills in your resume introduction and work experience bullet points as well.

For example, if you list Spanish as a key skill on your waiter or waitress resume, talk about how many customers you served in Spanish during your previous serving job. Describing a real situation where you put your skills to work proves to employers that the skills listed on in your skills section aren’t just empty words.

This is especially true for soft skills, which should always be demonstrated with examples in your experience section, rather than listed in the skills section of your resume. Soft skills are particularly difficult to measure without context, and just listing them without examples tells employers very little about your actual abilities.

6. Highlight your education and academic achievements.

 List your highest level of education first, followed by any other degrees or diplomas you have. Include the name of the institution, the location, the dates of attendance, and your degree or major. You can also mention your GPA, honors, or relevant coursework if they are impressive. If you have a CV, you can also include your publications, presentations, research projects, or grants. 

Your education section normally comes after all of your work experience, but you should place it first if you’ve never held a full-time job or you’re writing a student resume because you’ll want extra space to talk about your academic achievements.

An effective education section on a resume includes only your highest degree. If you didn’t go to college, add your high school diploma instead.

You can also add any relevant coursework to your resume if you think it addresses the job ad and the company’s needs, or if you’re writing a resume as a recent graduate.

7. Add other sections that strengthen your resume or CV.

Depending on your situation, you may want to include sections such as volunteer work, hobbies, interests, languages, or references. These sections can help you showcase your personality, passions, and values. They can also highlight your transferable skills or diversity. However, you should only include sections that are relevant and appropriate for the job.

Depending on your experience and background, consider adding optional resume sections. For example, certifications and awards are great if they’re relevant to your chosen career, while hobbies and volunteer work are useful if you’re writing a resume with no experience.

Here are some common optional sections you can add to your resume to give hiring managers a more complete view of you as a candidate:

These are the main steps on how to draft a good resume or CV. You should also choose a design that is professional, clear, and attractive. You can use a template or create your own layout. You should also proofread your document carefully and check for any errors or inconsistencies. Finally, you should email your resume or CV as a PDF file with a clear and polite subject line and message. I hope this helps you create a resume or CV that showcases your best qualities and lands you your dream job.

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