How to Create a Strong Resume for Tech Job/SDE?

A resume is a short written description of your education, previous jobs, and interest that is sent to an employer to get a job in the company. it is the first and the last impression which can help you to either grab that opportunity or lose that opportunity

To create such an impactful and catchy Resume for the job there are many things to follow:

First, if you don’t know how to make a template or what should be the format of a resume then there are many websites that offer you to create a resume and choose the particular template required and add information to it. You can even create the template of your design by watching some tutorial videos or learning from some websites.

There are three types of resume format:

• Reverse-chronological
• Functional (or skills-based)
• Combination (or hybrid or chrono-functional)

The reverse-chronological format is for the person who is qualified well and has years of experience and no gaps in employment.it requires more achievements  The Functional resume doesn’t consider more about past experience and is for the skilled person and the person is having gaps in employment.it focuses more on the future and what you can do in the job.  The Combination resumes emphasis on both accomplishments and skills. It is a combined format of functional and reverses chronological. It is used by college students and the person having no past work experience.

All three have very minor differences in their format. According to the person’s need, one can opt for a particular format.

Chronological format:

1. Contact information
2. Objective or summary statement
3. Professional experience
4. Relevant skills
5. Education
6. Additional information (i.e. volunteer work and special interests—optional)

Functional resume format:

1. Contact information
2. Objective or summary statement
3. Summary of relevant skills
4. Work experience
5. Education
6. Additional information (i.e. volunteer work and special interests)

Combination resume format:

1. Contact information
2. Objective or summary statement
3. Work experience
4. Summary of most relevant skills
5. Education

Secondly, while writing a Resume, one should keep in mind to use good vocabulary and start the points using action verbs. Use some eye-catching action verbs such as if someone has led a project, replace led by executed, created a project can be replaced by chartered/devised project, the boosted word can be replaced by accelerated, the improved word can be replaced by influenced or overhauled, worked/ executed replaced by complied, composed, organized can be replaced by activated, designated. Try to use synonyms instead of simple words and not use big sentences or make them lengthy. Using bullet points and not writing paragraphs helps make it understandable. Try to cover everything within 1-2 pages.

Thirdly, what should be the content in the resume?

• Add your personal details such as professional email, phone number, address, and LinkedIn account (if existing ) or any social media handle.
• Not to add father and mother names or birthday
• Try to add your professional titles like junior data scientist or impressive title.
• Add resume objective or resume summary – resume summary includes a short summary about your career, the job experience, 1-2 achievements, and desired goal. The resume objective includes the goal of your resume , about the motive to get into that field. Both are placed at the top of your resume under your name and professional title. It should be no more than 2-3 sentences each.
• Work experience – write about your past achievements and responsibilities, the learnings job position, company name, and years of experience. Don’t go beyond 7-9 years.
• Not to add unnecessary details which are not relevant to the field in which you are applying.
• Add education details – the program name, the schools and colleges, years, and their location. Mention GPA only if you had a very impressive academic career
• Mention the keywords used in the job requirements in your resume, telling about your achievements and qualification.
• A person having no job experience should focus more on the other sections and should try to mention the responsibilities taken before in any project. Try to do freelance projects.
• Add about hard (measurable abilities) and soft (personal) skills which are required in that field and rate yourself according to it. Write about technical, communication, management, and critical thinking skills. Emphasize the particular skills which are required by the company. For technical: programming language, database management, and many more. For communication: the person should know about the art of public speaking and should be able to understand the problems the person. Never lie about your skills and rate according to your experience in different situations.
• Not to add any photo or GIF in the resume
• Write about the achievements and the certificates ( if any) relevant to the field. Eg if you are applying for management positions, add about certificates in project management, analytical skills, leadership, etc.
• Try adding hard numbers in your resume which show what potential you can bring to the company.
• Tell me about the interests and hobbies applicable to the field and also don’t forget to mention about the internships done before.
• You can even mention the languages you know, your fluency in that language, and also whether you have basic knowledge of the language or you are intermediate at it.
• Any experience in a project or as a volunteer? then why not mention it in your resume to increase your chances.

Fourth, while writing a Resume keeps in mind the font and its size. you should not use cursive fonts or fonts which cannot be understood easily. ATS(Applicant Tracking System)is a type of software used in large companies which checks whether the applicant is capable of joining the company or not. Most of the applicants are disqualified by the ATS software before it reaches a hiring manager. So, try to use a very basic font and the font size should not be so small and not so large. Not to use different types of fonts and font colors, try to be consistent throughout the resume. Use headings, and subheadings to mention different sections. Use bold for phrases as well as to emphasize the verbs and italics to support the statement. Not to use the underline format as it makes it untidy. Make margins around the resume. In short, make an ATS-friendly resume that is easy to understand and has correctly labeled sections.

Lastly, double-check your resume to if any spelling mistakes or if anything is missing. You can even use some applications to check the grammar. Also, many resumes are attached with cover letters which should have elaborated skills and your interest to join that company, and the responsibilities you will take in that company. Save your file in both pdf and document format and you may also send them in both formats as some may require pdf while others may need the file to be in the document.

“There is no failure except in no longer trying.” – Chris Bradford. You should keep learning new skills and apply for jobs as improving and learning are part of life. Not to give up and try to keep moving on the path by crossing the obstacles and taking in positive notions