CV Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Writing a Resume

The first step to getting any job is having a killer resume. But setting out your professional and extracurricular experience can be tricky.

Luckily for you, Student Edge is the source of all knowledge (kinda). Here’s everything you need to know about writing a resume and nailing that job application.

(Psst. You can even build your own CV with Student Edge's Resume Builder.)

1. Highlight relevant experience!

The point of a resume is to show your potential employer that you have the skills and experience to be a great employee. If the job you’re applying for is your first, don’t panic. There are plenty of other experiences you can include.

You should consider, in the following order:

Employment history: If you have previous professional experience, be sure to highlight it first. This includes internships (paid or unpaid). Make sure you mention the company’s name, your position, your length of service and three to four details about your role.

These points should communicate exactly what your role involved. Make sure you also mention any major highlights or achievements. For example, you might have been interning somewhere and set up a database of clients, or worked at a restaurant where you were responsible for a certain number of tables. This initiative matters, so include information that sets you apart from other candidates!

Education: Your education is important to mention, but ensure you include only your best (and most recent) achievements. Think: scholarships, academic awards and important test results. Nobody cares about what you did in primary school.

Volunteering: Volunteering experience is looked upon extremely favourably. If you’re willing to dedicate your time to charity and people in need, you’re likely to go above and beyond in the workplace as well.

And if you don’t already have volunteering experience, think about reaching out to a couple of local charities you could help. It’s an important cause, and it also demonstrates your character to employers.

Extracurricular experience: Excelled in the sporting world? Play an instrument? This is the space to include a couple of extracurricular activities that show off your talents and passions. Don’t go over the top—only include experiences that complement your professional profile: think things that demonstrate leadership, teamwork or dedication.

Skills and qualifications: Depending on the job you’re applying for, it may be relevant to list industry-specific skills you have. For example, a graphic design job would require skills in Adobe programs, and for a secretarial job, it would be appropriate to list your typing speed. This is also the appropriate section to mention any qualifications you have. This could include a First Aid certificate, barista qualification or Duke of Edinburgh Award.

2. Provide references!

Often, job ads will require a certain number of referees to be provided. Some jobs may even require written references. However, regardless of what the job ad says, you should always include two good references.

When choosing references, make sure they’ll be happy to get a phone call from any potential employer, and can vouch for your professionalism and work ethic. If you’ve got previous employers who you’re on good terms with, this is easy. Otherwise, high school teachers, internship supervisors or community leaders can be great options.

3. Don’t forget your formatting, grammar and spelling!

The simplest tip, yet arguably the most important: make sure your resume reads well. First impressions are everything, and whoever ends up reading yours will make an assessment about it within seconds.

Is it logical, formatted appropriately and well structured? They’ll think you’re organised and have attention to detail.

Miss that annoying typo or use WordArt? Sorry to break it to you: it just looks bad.

Speaking of fonts and formatting, context is key. If you’re going for a creative job, your resume might be the perfect opportunity to use a cool template and show off more of your personality. But if you’re applying to work in a more traditional office, you’ll want to use simple formatting and a font like Times New Roman. If you’re unsure, err on the side of caution. Better to have a boring font and a job than Comic Sans and nothing, y’know?

Photo: CBS