Crafting Your Professional Story: What Is a Resume and How to Create One?

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A resume is a document that summarizes your professional background, skills, and accomplishments. It is used to showcase your qualifications to potential employers and is typically required when applying for jobs in Nigeria. A well-crafted resume helps you stand out and makes it easier for employers to see how you fit into their organization.

Key Components of a Resume

  1. Contact Information: Your name, phone number, email address, and optionally, your LinkedIn profile or personal website.
  2. Professional Summary or Objective: A brief statement at the beginning of your resume that highlights your career goals and key qualifications.
  3. Work Experience: A list of your previous jobs, including job titles, company names, locations, and dates of employment. Include bullet points describing your responsibilities and achievements in each role.
  4. Education: Details about your educational background, including the names of institutions, degrees earned, and dates of attendance.
  5. Skills: A list of relevant skills, both technical and soft skills, that are pertinent to the job you’re applying for.
  6. Certifications and Awards: Any professional certifications, licenses, or awards that demonstrate your expertise and accomplishments.
  7. Volunteer Work: If applicable, include any volunteer experience that is relevant to the job.

Steps to Create a Resume

  1. Choose a Format: Common formats include chronological (most recent work experience first), functional (focused on skills and experience), and combination (a mix of chronological and functional).
  2. Start with Your Contact Information: Make sure it is current and accurate.
  3. Write a Professional Summary or Objective: Tailor this section to the specific job you are applying for, highlighting your most relevant skills and achievements.
  4. Detail Your Work Experience: Start with your most recent job and work backward. Use bullet points to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments. Quantify your achievements with numbers whenever possible (e.g., “Increased sales by 20%”).
  5. List Your Education: Include your most recent and relevant degrees first. If you have recently graduated, you can include your GPA if it is strong.
  6. Highlight Your Skills: Choose skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for. This can include both hard skills (e.g., software proficiency) and soft skills (e.g., leadership).
  7. Include Certifications and Awards: If applicable, list any professional certifications and notable awards.
  8. Add Volunteer Work: If you have relevant volunteer experience, include it. This can be particularly valuable if you are early in your career or changing fields.
  9. Proofread and Edit: Review your resume for spelling and grammar errors. Ensure that it is clear, concise, and free of any typos.
  10. Tailor for Each Job Application: Customize your resume for each job you apply for by emphasizing the most relevant experience and skills.

Sample Resume Template

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
[LinkedIn Profile] (optional)

Professional Summary
[Brief statement about your career goals and key qualifications]

Work Experience

[Job Title]
[Company Name] – [Location]
[Month/Year] – [Month/Year]

  • [Responsibility/Achievement]
  • [Responsibility/Achievement]
  • [Responsibility/Achievement]

[Previous Job Title]
[Previous Company Name] – [Location]
[Month/Year] – [Month/Year]

  • [Responsibility/Achievement]
  • [Responsibility/Achievement]
  • [Responsibility/Achievement]

Education

[Degree Earned]
[Institution Name] – [Location]
[Month/Year] – [Month/Year]

Skills

  • [Skill 1]
  • [Skill 2]
  • [Skill 3]

Certifications and Awards

  • [Certification or Award]
  • [Certification or Award]

Volunteer Work (optional)

[Volunteer Position]
[Organization Name] – [Location]
[Month/Year] – [Month/Year]

  • [Responsibility/Achievement]

Creating a resume tailored to the job you are applying for can greatly increase your chances of getting noticed by potential employers.

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