Best Resume Format | Tips for writing an AWESOME Resume | ATS Resume Format

We all know how important a resume is to find a job but still not everyone is aware of how a good resume should look like. 

There are a lot of misconception when it comes to a good resume, like it needs to be a single page resume, it needs to be very fancy, very colorful, needs to have a professional pic etc. etc. But to be frank there are no strict rules to be followed on how a resume needs to look like. The ultimate goal is to convince the recruiter if your profile is a good match or not and in the shortest time possible.

Mentioned below are the top 4 tips that you need to follow to build an AWESOME resume.

1. Resume format must be ATS (Applicant Tracking System) friendly:

   • Follow simple resume format where each section is clearly mentioned.

   • Use simple fonts so the Applicant Tracking System software is able to read your contents easily.

   • Avoid tables, columns, special characters and photos since most of the ATS software will not be able to read it.

   • Avoid explaining contents like your role and responsibilities through big paragraphs, rather use bullet points.

   • Your resume needs to mention the keywords present in job description so ATS has more chances of making a good match.

   • Avoid using headers and footers. Not all ATS software is able to read headers and footers.

   • File type can be either pdf or a word document.

   2. Keep it short, simple and neat:

   • Do no over explain your projects rather focus on your responsibilities. 

   • Ideally 1-3 pages should be a good length for a resume.

   • Avoid highlighting and coloring texts. It doesn’t look neat and not every recruiter likes it

   3. Have following sections:

   • Name and Contact (phone, email, location & LinkedIn URL)

   • Summary (Professional overview of yourself)

   • Skills (Mention all your skill set)

   • Work Experience

     • Company name, location, project description and your responsibilities

     • If you are a fresher, then mention the college projects or internships you worked on.

   • Education

   • Certifications or Courses

   • Additional you can also add Languages and Hobbies

   4. Do not fake. Be real and apply for jobs which actually matches your skill set:

   • Generally, recruiters will always ask questions from what is mentioned in your resume. So be sure to be able to answer anything that is mentioned on your resume

Finally, attached below is a sample resume format which you can download and update the contents to your own and then use it to find a job soon.