I’m recently working on my resume to apply for the master degree in HCI/UX. So I attended a meetup talking about the tips of writing a resume. Here are the handy take aways I’d like to share with you 🥰
Find your value proposition
Common problems in a person’s resume are:
- Lack specific information / proof of impact
- Did not express one’s unique value
It’s important to demonstrate how your uniqueness can satisfy the target’s needs.
Here we have two things to keep in mind when writing a good resume.
- How are you different from others?
- What kind of people are the company/program looking for?
As you may imagine, the skills or backgrounds each target is seeking for may not be the same. Hence, the rule 1️⃣ here is to find out what the program/company emphasizes.
For example, a ux designers need to be team workers, good communicators, and those having empathy for users. So these characteristics should be highlighted in my resume if I want to apply for such a job. Those unrelated experience/projects can be removed (or in engineering language, comment them 😆) Cramming too much information is a big no-no 🚫
It’s nice to limit our experience into a one-page resume. Since we need more space to elaborate how we, as candidates, perfectly fit these characteristics, showing less distractions can make room for demonstrating our uniqueness🙌
Use proactive verbs
Verb choices are always important. Don’t write things like “ I observed…”, “ I supported…” Try use stronger verbs that show your importance.
Here are some nice words for your reference:
- Leadership experience: Led, Coordinated, Headed, Programmed
- Founder experience: Found, Established, Pioneered, Developed
- Making something better: Increased, Achieved, Boosted, Improved
- Achievements: Accomplished, Awarded, Outperformed, Surpassed
Show Proof
If we want to write what we have done, don’t just mention the responsibilities. Please list our impacts 🌟 Give my experience of being a vice general coordinator in IM camp as an example.
❌ In charge of organizing courses, activities, and company visits for high school students.
Every student serving as vice general coordinators may do the same thing. The responsibilities cannot set me apart. As a result, it is better to quantify the impact. How does the arrangement affect the application number? How many people participated in the team? Is it hard to lead?
✅ Led a twenty-member team to arrange courses, activities, and company visits that boosted the application by 50 percents and achieved a ninefold revenue.
Now it looks better than the original one :) Well, at least in my opinion 🙃
Add Context
Try to add more details in each item. It’s always helpful to compare our works than those doing it in the past. For instance, being the earliest person receiving a promotion, applied as the youngest intern the company have ever hired … these may all show that “hmm… there must be something really special about you.”
Even small changes by simply adding numbers can make difference! Look at my example of being a course organizer in NTU data analytics club:
❌ Directed several courses and help club members conduct business projects.
✅ Directed 8 courses and help 60 club members conduct 2 business projects cooperated with big companies.
Here is a clearer example for a candidate with a marketing manager background:
❌ Implemented advertising strategies and promotions.
✅ Implemented advertising strategies and promotions that increased sales by 6% in 2018, reversing a 3-year trend of declining sales.
See the difference?
It takes time to tailer our resume for different applications, but a good resume gives you a good first impression. When it comes to that…
There is no second chance to make a first impression.
So let’s fix it together 👊
