What should your resume contain?

Recruiters look at multiple aspects when screening a candidate’s profile for a job. However, the main things they look for in a candidate are attitude, technical know-how, stability, and approach.

Your resume should also be different based on your job profile.

For instance, for an experienced software engineer, the skill sets should be clearly mentioned.

The last three projects are considered critical, and displaying them in detail gives you a better chance of getting selected for the interview.

Only the necessary details should be highlighted to make it easy for both IT and non-IT recruiters, said Mahendra Prasad D, General Manager at a cybersecurity firm.

In the case of a fresher, details of the education, projects done, internships, technologies learned should be mentioned. Any misinformation can lead to the candidate being rejected.

The resume should also contain the keywords mentioned in the company's job description.

For example, a candidate who has experience working in the waste management or green energy sector and procurement field, the resume should reflect these in the form of keywords, or there are fewer chances of it getting selected.

Freshers should possess a good understanding of their chosen field. Talking to people who have some work experience in the domain can help, says Harini Shri Rajamahendran, Senior admin and environmental engineer at an e-trading platform.

Avoid copying

As a rule, avoid copy pasting resumes. An experienced recruiter can often find out where the details are copied from.

As always, brevity is key. A resume should not exceed two pages unless the role calls for it.

Even then, go for pointers.

For some jobs, listing projects you have worked on is critical. With projects, remember to work in the skillsets you have used or developed as well.

Finally, stability is crucial for any job requirement, as it indicates the candidate's approach towards a job and his attitude for any circumstance. Those seen as job hoppers, even though they are highly skilled, are often given the last preference.

So be mindful when switching jobs.

Finally, a resume should speak about the best traits of your personality. Preparing a detailed profile with only the facts can help you reach the first step of the interview process.

(The author is an HR professional and and wildlife conservation enthusiast)