Here’s an overview of the most important sections to include on your resume and points to consider:

Personal Information Is your contact information correct so that an employer or recruiter can easily email, call or write you? Your postal address, email address and phone number should not be missing from your resume. Are you using an email address that is business and professional enough? A “fun” email address is usually discouraged when applying for a job. Make it easy by using an email address that includes your first and last name: john.smith@gmail.com. Are you applying for a position where it is important to have a driver’s license? Be sure to indicate this and indicate the categories of driver’s license. Will you include photography on your resume? While not required, if you turn it on, make sure it’s a professional headshot, not a selfie. If you are located in South Africa, you may be required to provide information such as your identification number; however, it is best to check with your employer first. Have you added any social media profiles (Linkedin) to your resume and checked the privacy settings for any profiles (Facebook, Instagram) that you don’t want employers to see? If you can clear your profiles, even better.

Work experience Are you all eligible positions included? What about part-time jobs, freelancing or part-time jobs? These are all considered relevant work experience. Have you emphasized your skills and accomplishments, rather than your duties and responsibilities? Use action verbs to get more impact.

Education Did you enter your last qualifications first? What about the achievements (grants, prizes) and projects (thesis) that you have worked on. Include the results achieved for each project. When applying for work abroad: have you applied for a certificate or diploma supplement so that foreign employers understand what level you have reached? In many countries, you can obtain official recognition of your qualifications. Does your course description show that you have skills that are relevant to the job title?

Skills and Competencies Have you listed the skills in the job description and provided examples of how you developed those skills? In addition to work experience, you can use situations from volunteering, hobbies, interests, or your family life. Have you included a compelling personal profile or statement to highlight your skills and experience? Alternatively, you can add them in a separate Skills section. If you speak one or two foreign languages, feel free to mention them, but only if you speak them professionally. Have you included a mix of complex skills (job or industry skills) and interpersonal skills (personality or transferable skills such as leadership, effective communication, etc.)?

Have you taken part in any additional events that prove your skills? These can include volunteering, hobbies, extracurricular activities (if you are studying or recently left), training / courses, or professional membership / membership. All of this shows employers that you are committed to your personal development and training.

Links Did you include links in your resume? This should only be done if the employer explicitly requests it. More often, employers ask for referrals at a later stage. You can specify “ Links are available on request ”, but this is usually not necessary and is a waste of much-needed space. Have you asked permission from your reviewers and prepared them with the relevant points that you want them to mention (projects that you worked on together as well, what are the results achieved)?

General: Have you put the most important information on your resume first? For example, if you recently graduated from high school, you need to draw attention to your education. However, if you are a seasoned professional, your work experience should be the focus. Do your section headings clearly reflect what information they contain? We recommend using bold for headings and italics for subheadings to make them stand out. Does your resume follow a sequential order? Your work experience and education should be listed in reverse chronological order. Have you selected the most suitable resume to showcase your expertise? Reverse chronological resume is best for highlighting career progression; A functional resume or a skill-based resume is ideal for not focusing on work experience; and a combo / hybrid resume is great for showcasing your career accomplishments and your career history. Is your resume sufficiently tailored to the position you are applying for? Take the time to read the job description and select keywords and phrases that you can use on your resume. Does everything fit on 2 A4 pages so your resume doesn’t look cluttered? If you are an academic, you usually need 3-5 pages to include details of your qualifications, teaching experience, research and publications. However, for everyone else, the recommended length is 2 pages. Have you checked your resume for spelling, grammar, and correct wording? Have you left enough white space between sections and have you used the correct size and size fonts? It’s a good idea to print your resume to check its readability. Does your resume have a consistent and professional layout? Is the same font and color used everywhere (preferably neutral) and is the text formatted so that it is easy to read (left-aligned). Have you made a PDF of your resume to keep the formatting?