10 important questions to ask when preparing a resume

A resume should make them want to interview a candidate. This is why it is so important to pay special attention to resume writing. Before embarking on this endeavor, you need to ask yourself some sensible questions in order to put together the best resume possible.

1 - What is your professional goal

First of all, you need to assess your skills, aptitudes and experience. It is very important to know who you are and where you want to work. There are a number of criteria that will help you pinpoint your professional goal: What field do I want to work in? Do I prefer to work alone or in a team? The CV should represent a professional project.

2 - Who to write the CV for

It is very important to know the company you are applying to and what they are looking for. This knowledge will allow you to tailor your CV to each company's requirements. It is also important to keep in mind the specific position you are applying for and the skills and qualities required for it. This will allow you to choose the most revealing and useful experiences from your career path. The resume should allow the recruiter to determine what the candidate can bring to the company.

3 - How to get a recruiter's attention

A recruiter only spends a few seconds on a resume. Therefore, it's important to get straight to the point, be clear, concise and precise to immediately grab the recruiter's attention. In short, it should be attractive. A resume should have a title: it could be a phrase about a prestigious degree, a rare skill, a particularly valuable professional experience; it should clearly explain what you are looking for. Ideally, the resume, a masterpiece of synthesis, fits on one page, but it should not exceed two pages, which should remain exceptional, justified by a large amount of experience. In this case, it should not be double-sided, but sent on two pages stapled together. The CV should be divided into five easily identifiable headings: civil status, position, education, professional experience (these two headings should be interchanged if there is more than one significant experience), and hobbies and interests. Key information should stand out on first reading. You should also pay attention to layout, such as aligning contract dates and bolding job titles.

4 - What professional experience should I list

A young graduate with little experience needs to emphasize all of their skills for the position, so it's important to list everything they've done on their resume: summer part-time jobs, charitable organizations, recreational experiences and accomplishments, extracurricular activities, etc. On the other hand, for people with more experience, it is important to emphasize the skills they have acquired during their career. On the other hand, for more experienced people, it is important to choose those experiences that are most telling, form a consistent career path, and are relevant to the position they are applying for. It is best to present the experience that is closest to the position in question. Other experiences, such as volunteer work or overseas experience, can also be highlighted. Even if you can't put everything on your resume, there will still be something to talk about in an interview with a recruiter.

5 - How to present your professional experience

You should neither belittle the company you previously worked for nor over-praise it. For every experience, you should start with the general and then move on to the specific. Therefore, we start by introducing the company and the context of the position, and then describe the position in detail, describing its challenges, achievements and results. Consistency is also important when outlining a career path; therefore, it is advisable to exclude any reference to activities that are opposite to the values and skills required for the job sought.

6 - Is it okay to lie on a resume

Some people may be tempted to deceive about their skills or embellish their professional experience. Such an act is dangerous, to say the least: you risk the recruiter's trust if he or she ever discovers the deception. However, it is possible to hide some elements of your career path and even exaggerate others. For example, you can hide a gap in your career progression in an interesting way. But caution is still necessary.

7 - Whether you should put a photo on your resume

A photo should not be a selection criterion. Sometimes it is explicitly required in the ad, especially for sales positions. In this case, you should avoid low-quality photos that don't show the candidate in the best light, and choose one that shows you smiling and wearing a classic outfit.

8 - Should I be original in my resume

For some professions, it pays to think outside the box. For example, for a graphic designer, a video resume is a good idea, provided it is well prepared and avoid static videos that look much less attractive than a classic paper resume. All unnecessary frills should be banished from the resume, which should remain as sober as possible. This risks losing content in favor of form. A legible, clear and well-structured resume will make the recruiter's job easier.

9 - What other skills should be mentioned

Language skills are one of the most important skills a company needs. Therefore, it is important to mention proficiency in one or more foreign languages on your resume. The same goes for computer skills, where it is not unreasonable to list all the programs you have mastered.

10 - How to choose the right words on your resume

Digital technology has made it much easier for recruiters to handle resumes, but candidates must also adapt to this new way of working. Recruiters today have databases with many resumes that they search for keywords. Therefore, it is important to choose words that are clear, succinct and a good fit for both your profile and the specific job opening.