Staring at my Resume: Lesson #1

RESUME TIPS Your name and contact details must be prominent. Do not include unnecessary personal details. Resume should only be a page. Max of 2 pages. Dated info (i.e educational background) must be written from most recent down to past records. Glam up on achievements!

The first important thing in one’s career that I learned dawned on me when I was staring at my resume template - it gave me a blank stare while I sit in front of my computer monitor. I thought, “I should have seen what a resume looks like when I was 10 years old!”


I was about to graduate at that time and because I wanted to be ahead of the newly-graduates pack, I decided to look for a job early. Looking for work all starts with a piece of paper: THE RESUME and I must tell you, it will force you to travel back in time, asking yourself, “What have I done?”

The first part of resume writing is easy. You have to fill out your personal information. The name and the contact details are the most important. The resume template I copied from also stated height, weight, birthday and religion. I promptly deleted those details now.

Educational background also came as a breeze. Schools, university and date attended. Well I had to count back the years a few times just to be sure.

Then… what next? I had to state achievements. It wasn’t very difficult because while I didn’t gain much academic achievement in highschool, I had some academic awards when I was in the university including a Cum Laude and an opportunity to be an exchange student in another country while I was senior. But are they enough? Are they enough compared to others from my batch who have joined several competitions and won them?

Many will argue that scholastic achievements are not important and that everyone is leveled in the working industry. This could be one of the biggest myths that any student should never listen to. Yes, everyone begins at the bottom in terms of career but achievements boost your image when employers start reading your resume in less than 30 seconds.

If you cannot achieve something when you were studying, what can you achieve from hereon? Where are your proofs that you are hardworking, can be easily trained and has discipline under pressure?

Children, it’s a competitive world out there.

Next post >>> The Next Part of Resume Writing that Had Me Scratching my Head.

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