Job hunting is always stressful, especially when it happens for the first time. Applicants who are just entering the labor market are afraid and embarrassed by the lack of experience and necessary skills. However, many employers are looking for new employees, ready to train and educate them. The task of each new applicant is to present himself competently so that he is noticed and invited to work. In this article – expert advice for those who are going to look for a job for the first time.
Stick to an established resume structure
Remember that the purpose of your resume is to show the employer that you are the best fit for the jobs in Sharjah for foreigners. Your resume must contain the following sections.
Name, contacts and other basic information
Indicate only relevant data: phone and email, which you check daily, as well as the address of your place of residence (street, district or metro station). If you think that a page on social networks can enhance the positive effect and make a good impression on a future employer, link to your page.
Personal information (section “About me”)
This section is optional. Fill it out if you want to stand out from other applicants. Do not write general phrases and patterns about sociability and stress resistance. Write what you want to achieve in your future position and what exactly you can offer the employer. In the same section, indicate information about participation in case championships or volunteer projects, note if you were the head of the course, participated in some student activities. A student union or council is a great example of being proactive and willing to take on additional responsibilities. Companies always welcome people who are ready to take on new tasks, explore new areas and constantly learn, even if no one asks them to. You can also enter your GPA.
Key skills
The employer must clearly understand what you offer and what he will get if he hires you. Make a short list of skills that match each specific job. And do not forget to indicate where and how you acquired these skills. Mark if you know how to work with programs such as Excel, PowerPoint, 1C, SAP, etc. Write information about where you purchased them in the “Additional education” column. Here you can list courses, seminars or training – this will certainly be a plus in the eyes of a future employer.
Work experience
This section needs to be considered in more detail. List all experiences in reverse chronological order. Remember all your practices, internships and temporary projects, including foreign ones. It is important for the employer to know what events you took part in organizing. Check the volunteer programs you have been involved in. This item in the resume will undoubtedly attract attention, as it will show your desire to develop and the ability to live in multitasking mode.
If you have worked in companies, please include their full name, position you held, and exact hours of employment, even if it was a short-term internship of a few weeks. Write down exactly what your responsibilities were. Do not limit yourself to one sentence, for example, “assistance to the manager,” but write a little more: “answered calls and emails of the manager, assisted in meetings, prepared minutes of the results of meetings.”
The first option is to rely on past professional experience. For example, you worked as a massage therapist, and then decided to become a bank manager. You have never worked in the banking sector, but you can build a story based on customer experience.
The second option is to focus on life experience that may be useful in future work. To do this, collect relevant achievements in study, part-time work or practice at the university in your resume. Fill out a resume for the position of a courier – indicate how much accident-free driving experience you have. If you want to work as a personal assistant, emphasize that you have experience in organizing a graduation party for 25 people in 2 weeks: they made up a holiday program, agreed on a menu, booked a cafe. Even if you helped a private person and were not formally registered, indicate this on your resume and tell it at the interview.
Education and training
Indicate secondary and (if available) higher education, as well as all additional courses, lectures, seminars and webinars that have improved your qualifications and helped you develop the necessary skills.
Interests
Write about it only if your interests help you improve your professional field. Do not write about religious or political preferences, make sure that your interests do not contradict the position and corporate policy of the company you want to work for.
It is considered normal to write in the resume: “Recommendations will be provided upon request.” In the summary on hh.ru, this can also be noted in the “About me” section. Do not include friends or relatives who are not related to your field of activity in the list of people who recommend you.
What to write when there is no work experience
There are various opportunities to gain primary experience (we include it in the resume as a place of work), for example:
- Volunteering
- Internships
- Help friends in their business
- Create your own project
- Research as part of training (sociological survey, development, case studies, etc.)
Alternatively, find an interesting project for yourself on special resources or the opportunity to participate in a volunteer project. Many job sites have the opportunity to choose internship programs. There are also internship programs at many large companies and global brands.
Another unusual, but working idea is to choose vacancies for the position you are interested in, but with a low income level. This usually means that the company needs help, but funding is limited. Offer a week / two – as much as you can offer yourself as an assistant during the search. Do it for free or for minimal compensation from the category of “travel and food.”
Keep your resume short and concise
The volume of the resume should not exceed 1-1.5 pages, try to avoid italics and underlining. Indicate only information that is important for a potential employer and do not go into details. If the employer wants to know the details, you can tell about it at the interview.
Please note that the resume photo must be in business style. Photography is not required, but encouraged. This makes it easier to recognize when meeting, and also shows your responsible attitude towards your future career and corporate style of the company.
Check your resume for literacy before sending. Upload your resume to Word and automatically check for errors and typos. Ask people you know to read your resume, as you may not notice any mistakes yourself.
Compose a cover letter
A cover letter can grab the attention of a recruiter or potential employer. Some companies specifically require a cover letter, and resumes without one will not be considered. It should be individual and compiled for each specific vacancy.
It is better to make the letter short: it should take no more than 15-30 seconds to read it. Do not duplicate template letters – this is disrespectful to the future employer. Don’t retell your resume – focus on what makes you different from other candidates. Briefly state what position you are applying for, how you heard about it, why you are applying for the position, what skills you have, and also show your desire to take a specific position in this company.
Specify your salary expectations
If you are looking for a salary minimum and are not ready to consider offers below it, be sure to indicate this in your resume. This way you won’t get irrelevant job offers. It is important to understand: this is a figure in Net (on hand) or Gross (before deducting 13% income tax). Employers indicate salary information in vacancies in different ways: sometimes in Gross, sometimes in Net.
In conclusion, I will definitely say: a well-written resume is the face of the candidate. If you want to land your dream job, think about what a resume should look like for her and get started!
