How to Make a Resume That Gets Shortlisted - Part 2
Your name, headline, contact information, and professional summary occupy very little space, but they are some of the first information a recruiter sees. And so, Part 2 of this series is about getting the very top of your resume right.
HEADLINE:
For students and freshers,
Stop Starting With “Student” (Being a student is not your professional value proposition. )
Other WEAK Headlines that I mostly come across:
"Passionate Software Developer", "Hardworking Engineering Student", "Aspiring Software Engineer", "Motivated Learner". These words describe how you feel about yourself, not what you can actually do.
A Good Headline answers the below questions:
What kind of candidate are you?
What do you specialise in?
For example:
Backend Developer | Node.js, PostgreSQL, Redis
If there is an exceptional achievement that genuinely differentiates you, that can be added too.
Another important and common mistake here is adding information that is very repetitive across your resume.
CONTACT INFO: Basic Doesn't mean Unimportant
This section looks impossible to get wrong and yet People still do.
Always include Country Code with your Phone number
Instead of: 9876543210 use: +91 98765 43210Your Email Address Is Part of Your Professional Identity
Please don't submit a professional resume using an email address that looks childish or unprofessional.
Use something simple: firstname.lastname@... , firstname123@... , firstnamelastname@...Add LinkedIn For most professional applications, a properly maintained LinkedIn profile is worth including. But there is an important word there: maintained.
Applying for Development Roles? Add GitHub Include it when it adds evidence to your candidacy. The same principle applies to portfolios. Don't add links because resumes are “supposed” to have links.
THE PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY:
Now we get to one of the most misunderstood sections on a resume.Starting with Answers to the most common Questions:
1. Is Professional Summary Actually Important?
Yes — when it adds information.
No — when it simply occupies space.
This distinction is important.
For career changers or company switch specifically, the summary becomes much more valuable because the candidate's previous job title may not immediately explain why they fit the new role.
A fresher does not need three lines explaining that they are enthusiastic about beginning their career. But they can absolutely use a professional summary when there is something valuable to summarise.
For example:
Software developer with internship and project experience across React, Node.js, and PostgreSQL, including building a campus platform used by 2,000+ students. Interested in backend-focused Software Engineering roles.
If your professional summary doesn't make your candidature stronger within three lines, don't add one just to fill the section. (Unless you want to fill the empty space in the resume, no cap!)
MORE TO NOTE:
- Your Professional Summary Must Change With the Job you apply to.
- Put Your Best Quantified Highlight in the Summary
- Keep the Professional Summary to Three Lines
- Where Should the Professional Summary Go? ( at the top of your resume, always, or near the top)
That is all for this part,
Let me know which section would you like a deep dive on next!
And what other topics would you like to see a breakdown, so that you get an article that sums it all for you! :)
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