Your resume is more than just a list of your education, work experience, and qualifications. It is also a reflection of your personality, your values, and your goals. A well-written resume can showcase your unique strengths, passions, and potential to employers and recruiters. It can also help you stand out from the crowd and land your dream job.
But how do you show your personality in your resume without sounding unprofessional or irrelevant? Here are some tips and tricks to help you craft a resume that reflects who you are and what you can offer.
Why Your Resume Should Reflect Your Personality
Your personality is an important factor in your career success. It influences how you communicate, collaborate, solve problems, and handle stress. It also affects how you fit into the culture and values of the organization you want to work for.
According to a survey by CareerBuilder¹, 77% of employers said they are looking for candidates who have a strong sense of who they are and what they want out of their career. They also said they are more likely to hire candidates who have a positive attitude, a sense of humor, and a willingness to learn.
By showing your personality in your resume, you can demonstrate that you have these qualities and more. You can also show that you are not just another generic applicant, but a unique individual with a distinctive voice and vision.
How to Choose the Right Format, Style, and Tone for Your Resume
The first step to showing your personality in your resume is to choose the right format, style, and tone for your resume. There are different types of resume formats, such as chronological, functional, hybrid, or targeted². Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on your situation and goals.
The chronological format is the most common and traditional one. It lists your work history in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job. It is suitable for candidates who have a consistent and progressive career path with no gaps or changes.
The functional format focuses on your skills and abilities rather than your work history. It groups your skills into categories that match the requirements of the job you are applying for. It is suitable for candidates who have gaps in their work history, who are changing careers, or who have diverse or unconventional experiences.
The hybrid format combines elements of both the chronological and functional formats. It highlights both your skills and your work history in a balanced way. It is suitable for candidates who want to showcase their achievements and potential without hiding their career progression.
The targeted format is customized for each specific job you are applying for. It emphasizes the skills and qualifications that are relevant to the job description and the employer’s needs. It is suitable for candidates who want to tailor their resume to each opportunity and increase their chances of getting an interview.
The format you choose should reflect your personality as well as your professional goals. For example, if you are a creative and innovative person, you might want to use a functional or hybrid format that showcases your skills and projects. If you are a reliable and organized person, you might want to use a chronological or targeted format that showcases your work history and achievements.
The style and tone of your resume should also reflect your personality as well as the industry and culture of the organization you want to work for. For example, if you are applying for a job in a formal and conservative field, such as law or finance, you might want to use a simple and elegant style with a professional and formal tone. If you are applying for a job in a casual and creative field, such as media or design, you might want to use a colorful and modern style with a friendly and informal tone.
The style and tone of your resume should also be consistent throughout your resume. You should avoid using different fonts, colors, sizes, or formats in different sections of your resume. You should also avoid using slang, jargon, abbreviations, or emojis in your resume. You should use clear, concise, and grammatically correct language that conveys your message effectively.
How to Highlight Your Skills, Achievements, and Interests in Your Resume
The next step to showing your personality in your resume is to highlight your skills, achievements, and interests in your resume. These are the aspects of your resume that showcase what you can do, what you have done, and what you like to do.
Your skills are the abilities that you have acquired through education, training, work experience, or personal activities that are relevant to the job you are applying for. They can be divided into two categories: hard skills and soft skills³.
Hard skills are technical or specific skills that can be measured or tested, such as computer skills, language skills, or accounting skills. Soft skills are interpersonal or transferable skills that are related to your personality, attitude, or behavior, such as communication skills, teamwork skills, or problem-solving skills.
You should list your skills in a separate section of your resume, preferably near the top. You should use bullet points to list your skills and use keywords that match the job description and the employer’s expectations. You should also provide examples or evidence of how you have used or demonstrated your skills in your work history or education sections.
Your achievements are the results or outcomes that you have accomplished through your work experience, education, or personal activities that are relevant to the job you are applying for. They can be quantified or qualified, such as awards, honors, promotions, projects, publications, or testimonials.
You should highlight your achievements in your work history or education sections of your resume. You should use bullet points to describe your achievements and use action verbs and numbers to show the impact and value of your achievements. You should also use the STAR method⁴ to structure your achievements. The STAR method stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. It helps you to provide a clear and concise story of how you achieved a specific goal or solved a specific problem.
Your interests are the hobbies or activities that you enjoy doing in your spare time that are relevant to the job you are applying for. They can show your personality, values, and passions, as well as your skills and abilities.
You should include your interests in a separate section of your resume, preferably near the end. You should use bullet points to list your interests and use keywords that match the job description and the employer’s culture. You should also be selective and honest about your interests. You should only include interests that are appropriate and professional, and that you can talk about confidently and enthusiastically.
How to Avoid Common Resume Mistakes and Pitfalls
The final step to showing your personality in your resume is to avoid common resume mistakes and pitfalls that can ruin your chances of getting an interview. Here are some of the most common resume mistakes and pitfalls and how to avoid them:
- Lying or exaggerating: You should never lie or exaggerate about anything on your resume, such as your skills, achievements, education, or work history. This can damage your reputation and credibility and lead to serious consequences if you get caught. You should always be honest and accurate about everything on your resume and be prepared to back it up with proof.
- Being too generic or vague: You should never use a generic or vague resume that does not reflect your personality, goals, or qualifications. This can make you look boring, unoriginal, or unqualified for the job. You should always customize your resume for each specific job you are applying for and use specific details and examples that show why you are the best candidate for the job.
- Being too long or too short: You should never make your resume too long or too short for the job you are applying for. This can make you look unprofessional, unfocused, or irrelevant for the job. You should always follow the standard resume length guidelines for your industry and level of experience⁵. Generally speaking, a one-page resume is suitable for entry-level candidates, a two-page resume is suitable for mid-level candidates, and a three-page resume is suitable for senior-level candidates.
- Having typos or errors: You should never have any typos or errors on your resume, such as spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, punctuation mistakes, or formatting mistakes. This can make you look careless, sloppy, or incompetent for the job. You should always proofread your resume carefully before sending it and use tools such as spell checkers⁶, grammar checkers, or resume checkers to help you catch any errors.
How to Use Wantokjobs.com to Find Your Dream Job
Now that you know how to show your personality in your resume, you might be wondering how to find your dream job in Papua New Guinea or elsewhere in the Pacific region. The answer is simple: use Wantokjobs.com!
Wantokjobs.com is PNG’s latest online job board with advanced recruitment and jobseeker features. It is also the first online job board in PNG that caters specifically to Papua New Guineans and Pacific Islanders who want to work locally or internationally.
Wantokjobs.com offers many benefits for both jobseekers and employers/recruiters. For jobseekers, Wantokjobs.com offers:
- A user-friendly interface that allows you to create a professional profile and upload your resume easily
- A wide range of jobs from various industries and sectors that match your skills, qualifications, and preferences
- A smart matching system that connects you with the most suitable employers and recruiters based on your profile and resume
- A secure platform that protects your personal information and privacy
- A supportive community that provides you with career advice, tips, and resources
For employers/recruiters, want
- A cost-effective and efficient way to advertise your vacancies and reach a large pool of qualified and diverse candidates
- A powerful and flexible search engine that allows you to filter and sort candidates based on your criteria and preferences
- A convenient and secure platform that allows you to communicate with candidates and manage your hiring process
- A reliable and professional service that provides you with support, feedback, and analytics
Wantokjobs.com is more than just a job board. It is a community of like-minded people who share a common vision of creating a better future for Papua New Guinea and the Pacific region. Whether you are looking for a job or looking for talent, Wantokjobs.com is the place to be.
Conclusion
Your resume is your personal marketing tool that showcases your personality, skills, achievements, and interests to potential employers and recruiters. By following the tips and tricks in this article, you can create a resume that reflects who you are and what you can offer. You can also use Wantokjobs.com to find your dream job in Papua New Guinea or elsewhere in the Pacific region. Wantokjobs.com is PNG’s latest online job board that connects you with the best opportunities and the best people. So what are you waiting for? Create your profile, upload your resume, and start your journey with Wantokjobs.com today!
References
: CareerBuilder survey reveals how to get an edge in the job hunt
: Resume Formats: Which Type of Resume is Right for You?
: Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: What’s the Difference?
: How to Use the STAR Method to Ace Your Job Interview
: How Long Should Your Resume Be?
: Spell Checker
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(2) Papua New Guinea country profile – BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-15436981.
(3) Keith Jackson & Friends: PNG ATTITUDE. https://www.pngattitude.com/.
(4) Wantokjobs.com | Port Moresby – Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/wantokjobs.
(5) Wantokjobs.com – Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/wantokjobscom/.
(6) WantokJobs.com’s Tweets – Twitter. https://twitter.com/Wantokjobs.