Well begun is half done – Aristotle
For young graduates or freshers, the first step towards the well beginning is an excellent resume that can grab the eyeballs of potential employers and at the least get them an interview.
Experienced professionals have a lot of ‘meat’ to put in their resume, but with no experience and no technical proficiency, often the question for freshers is what are the right things to put in the resume and which ones to avoid.
About You
In the initial section(s), provide information about yourself in brief. Who you are and what you are looking for. Mention what sort of work you are looking for or what is your career objective.
Stand out in the crowd by mentioning what makes you different from the rest of your peers applying for the job and why should they chose you.
Academic Achievements
Give your education details in a reverse chronological manner. Mention the year of passing and if any specialty or major is done in a subject.
List your academic achievements as well if they are worth mentioning. E.g., 80% in MCA or Best Student of the Year Award, etc.
Technology Exposure
As you are applying for a technology job, it’s crucial to mention which all technologies you have a good grasp on and which ones you have a fair knowledge of.
In today’s technology world, it’s essential to learn technologies beyond your course curriculum, even if you don’t have expertise on them. It will show your attitude to go over and beyond what’s assigned and your self-driven nature. Have work examples ready for every technology that you mention.
Mention the latest technologies in the market first and avoid putting outdated technologies which you might have worked in the past.
Projects Undertaken
This is the most important section of your resume. The interviewers would like to see what actual project work have you done.
Even if you have worked only on academic projects, be sure to provide proper details about the project, project summary, technologies used, your contribution, it’s benefits, etc. And also have all the information about it ready during the interviews.
It adds an extra star to your resume if you have done some projects beyond your academics. It could be working as a freelancer or in collaboration with someone outside, an internship, or even if it’s just for your fun and learning. But if the project was good and utilized current technologies, be sure to mention the project with its details.
Beyond Academic Achievements
As a fresher, you compete with thousands of other. The recruiters and organizations are looking for people who are ‘different‘ or who have the edge over others in some manner.
In this regard, any other work that you have done beyond academics and are good at it is worth mentioning in the resume. Any technology and leadership interests always fetch an additional brownie point.
E.g., state-level Basketball player, Columnist in a magazine, Blogger, Working with an NGO, Debate Champion, StackOverflow contributor, etc.
Avoid putting general ‘hobbies’ like reading, dancing, painting, surfing. If you are have done some serious work in any such area, then mention it specifically. E.g., ‘Trained Classical Dancer, Performed at several regional concerts,’ ‘Avid Marvel Comic Fan with the biggest fan collection in India’