What should you include in a resume?

Writing a resume as a fresher can be quite a challenge. You can write your contact details and educational qualifications, but that would cover no more than half a page of a standard one-page resume. What else can you include?

When it comes to writing a Resume, most people tend to overlook the basic purpose that a Resume is meant to serve, i.e. in addition to simply giving objective information about you, it acts as a ‘marketing tool that highlights your qualities and shows how you can prove to be an asset for a prospective employer.’ In its essence, the purpose of writing a Resume is to provide information that convinces the employer to provide you with a job offer. A Resume provides a summary of your qualifications, skills, accomplishments and talents that show why you are an ideal candidate for the job/role you have applied for.

At the college level, especially during campus placements, you are generally competing with people who have similar academic qualifications and even accomplishments. You would need to do more to differentiate yourself than just flaunt your academic grades. You may be passionate about making friends, organizing events, caring for the needy, playing a sport, or expressing your thoughts in writing. All of these and many other traits intrinsic to you would be highly valuable when you enter the work place. Prospective employers could turn that employment offer in your favour if you can bring out these traits through the resume.

Let’s see how you can bring out the relevant information through the various sections of a standard resume.

1. Show your career focus – Want to become a pollster adept at predicting Indian elections. Want to lead teams to establish a sales channel to sell luxury goods.
2. Share your educational qualifications. The name of the college, name of the degree/course/specialization you are pursuing, and the start and completion dates. Share academic accomplishments – stood among the top 5 students in the class, distinction in the third year, merit scholarship in the first two semesters. Share academic focus. The projects you took up and the results you achieved. Specific courses you undertook that may be relevant for the job you seek.
3. Through part-time work opportunities and extracurricular activities: Share the ability to take initiative – persuaded the department head to upgrade course material related to robotics, negotiated with the vendor to provide cheap stationery to college students. Share your organizational ability – managed the logistics of picking up close to hundred visiting participants at 12 different arrival times during the annual college festival. Show your leadership ability – Led a team of five students to revise the department code of conduct which came into effect in 2012.
4. Share your interests and passions. Movie making – shot a documentary on an unusual social practice in the nearby slum. Food enthusiast – over 500 people follow my tweets on Italian cooking.
5. Include objective information: Provide your contact information so that the recipient of your resume can contact you. Include the postal information, phone number and an email id that you check regularly.

Think about what you did and what you like to do, and find ways to bring out your unique personality through the resume. When you do so you give an insight into you as a person and help the employer understand how you would perform in a work environment. 

In case you have concerns about specific aspects of writing the resume, find ways to address them by reading our Resume FAQs.