An ideal resume should set him apart from other applicants. Therefore it is advisable not to copy a standard resume template from the website or a book. It must be ensured that the resume is easily readable and the best to attract attention.

Before beginning to write a resume, it is necessary to get all the relevant information to hand because all the information given should be correct. The type of job applied for should also be taken into consideration. If it is a permanent one, the career development should be highlighted and if it is a temporary role or on a contract, the skills and the adaptability should be highlighted.

The important points to be included on the resume are the name, phone number, email address and also the residential address. Students should specify both their term and home addresses in the resume. Employers are interested in knowing what the applicant can achieve and so it is better to include the major achievements, which are relevant to the job. It is essential to give a concise history of the career in reverse chronological order with the most recent position coming first. If the application is for permanent roles, relevant training courses and awards must be included.

There are certain things that should not be included in a resume. The foremost point is not to write anything negative or critical about own self while writing a resume. Only the positive abilities must be highlighted. Poor grades or bad employment experiences can be avoided because it is impossible to lie in the resume. Another thing that should be avoided in a resume is the list of references. Strictly photographs on resumes must be avoided for two reasons. One obvious reason is that it is the experience and skills that count and not the appearance unless applying for a modeling or acting job. The second reason is employers use databases to store the resumes and a photo may not be scanned well and corrupt the application.

In majority of the cases listing the hobbies and interests is not needed. Regardless of the career there is no need to include the age, gender, date of birth, marital status and so on.

There are certain common resume mistakes. A spelling mistake in a resume will cost an interview and the job and so spellchecker on the PC must be utilized. Too many fonts and font sizes on a resume reduces the chances of the employer reading the resume patiently. Normally it is better to confine the resume to two pages even if the career history is long. Bullet points are the best method to draw the attention of the reader and also to bring down the resume to two pages and word processed resumes are better since hand written resumes have become obsolete.