Crafting Effective Résumés

Here's a guide to writing effective résumés and putting together attention-grabbing applications.

Résumés can come in a variety of formats, such as the chronological, skills-based, combination, and alternative résumés. The most commonly used format is the chronological résumé as it is reader-friendly and easily customisable. However, each format has its pros and cons, so do your research and find out which one can best serve your needs before deciding on one.

Regardless of which type of résumé you choose to use, the idea behind its presentation remains the same. What’s more important is to adapt the various elements of the format and tailor its content to highlight your skills and distinguish yourselffrom otherapplicants. Here's a sample chronological résumé to help you get started:

Wong Kok Wah Mobile: 8765 8903 E-mail: kwwong@gmail.com 1

EDUCATION

University of London Singapore Institute of Management • Bachelor of Science (Banking & Finance) • GPA: 3.7 Aug 2017 - May 2020

RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Research Assistant, Fiber Optics Lab Assisted on research into power fiber laser systems and their practical industrial applications • Set up, maintained, and catalogued equipment used in research experiments. • Coded programme to filter and analyse gathered data, in order to assist with interpretation of research and findings. Aug - Dec 2019 2

Future Electronics Singapore, Intern • Actively sourced for potential Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) suppliers of key components in Malaysia. • Identified more cost-effective alternatives to key components used in company products. Theoretically reduced production costs by 5% as a result. • Communicated directly with senior management during the sourcing process, and submitted report of findings to them. May - Jul 2019

OTHER EXPERIENCE

Two Geeks, Raffles Square store, Sales Representative • Successfully promoted digital products, and was awarded "Best Sales Person" within first month on the job for exceeding sales target by 15% • Assisted customers with relevant queries on hardware and software products. • Reconciled cash at daily close of business. Aug - Dec 2018

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Chairman, Public Relations, Investment & Networking Club Singapore Institute of Management • Led a group of eight committee members to publicise club events, which successfully increase club membership by 20%. • Encouraged club members to actively participate and help out in club events. Aug - Dec 2019 3

Soccer Team Captain, Singapore Institute of Management • Currently playing on university team's first division. Led team to win the inter-university Lion Cup in 2019. • Responsible for selecting and motivating team members, and organising and conducting bi-weekly training sessions. • Liased with team captains at other universities to coordinate practice matches. Jan 2018 - Present

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 4

Proficient in Microsoft Office. Languages: fluent in English and Mandarin (both spoken and written). Enjoys outdoor sports, particularly soccer and ultimate frisbee. Regularly participates in volunteer work.

REFERENCES 5

Dr. Edwin Wong, senior lecturer, school of Business, Singapore Institute of Management Tel: 9085 6721 Email: edwin.wong@sim.edu.sg Mr. Thomas Kumar, operations manager, Future Electronics Tel: 9983 7832 Email: kumar.thomas@future-e.com

Make your name stand out 1

Use a different font for your name, or enlarge and bold it, so that the first thing a recruiter will see when they pick up your résumé will be your name. Putting it in uppercase is a good move, too, as it will make your résumé easyto find amidst a stack of other documents.

Verbs are your best friends 2

Always use action verbs whenever possible, focusing on your role and the results you achieved.

Results speak for themselves 3

Avoid self-promotion. That’s just patting yourself on the back. An effective résumé lets the candidate’s results speak for themselves.

Be more than a worker 4

Feel free to use your résumé to reveal the breadth and depth of your skills, interests and hobbies that frame you positively. Do not, however, let your résumé exceed two pages.

Check with your referees 5

Whenever possible, always include references as an indication of credibility. Also, be absolutely sure to consult all your referees before you nominate them. Nothing ruins an application like an unprepared referee or an unfavourable reference.

Other elements that you should consider:

What's in a font? Personal statements Bridging offline and online Fonts to use: Fonts to avoid: While you may think a unique font may make you stand out, it may put off employers instead, unless you’re going for an alternative résumé. Here are some examples of fonts that you should use and some that you shouldn’t. Graduates are often in doubt about personal statements (also known as a career aim, profile or mission statement). What purpose does it serve and should it be included in their résumé?

Our answer: a graduate’s résumé typically does not need a personal statement because an effective personal statement requires details that fresh graduates could not provide.

Typically limited to only two to three sentences, good personal statements summarise your career goals as well as unique experiences, achievements and knowledgeorskillsthatyoucanoffertoyour prospectiveemployer. Thesearedetailsthat you can only provide after having been in the workforce for some time. With the job search process and recruiters moving online, it’s a wise move to link youroffline résumé to youronline profile, especially your LinkedIn profile or sites containing your work. It allows you to start interacting with potential employers even before the job interview, giving them an early overview of your past achievements. When including the link of your LinkedIn profiletoyourrésumé,makesuretousethe public profile’s URL address instead of the link in your browser’s usual URL box when you’re logged into your account. You can also customise your LinkedIn profile’s URLaddress to build yourpersonal brand and make it more memorable to recruiters and networking contacts. You can dothisthrough the“Privacy&Settings” section ofyour LinkedIn homepage. Arial: The standard sans-serif font. Arial’s clean, easy-to-read feel makes it ideal for a résumé. The font sizes 10 to 11 work just fine. Tahoma and Calibri are decent substitutes, too. Times New Roman: The standard serif font, Times New Roman is another safe bet that looks slightly more elegant than Arial. Some of the more “easy-going” industries, like IT and media, might find Times New Roman to be too formal, however. Verdana: Another common sans-serif font. If done correctly, Verdana can be used for a very classy effect even if you plan to create an alternative résumé. Comic Sans MS: The red-headed stepchild of modern fonts, the quirky but dreadfully overused Comic Sans has no place on a résumé. Monotype Corsiva: Unless you’re applying for a job as a dramatic actor, Monotype Corsiva's fancy flourishes are difficult to read and are more likely to annoy than impress a recruiter.