The job search process has become extensive due to the rise of social media, writing the perfect resume has become the least of our worries. Not only do you have to have a CV and cover letter, but you now have to have a LinkedIn profile, professional Facebook presence, a Twitter handle and sometimes even a blog to keep up with the competition. That said, you can be a rock star in online networking, but if your resume is poorly constructed, your application will fall flat and won’t make the cut.

So before you hit the send button, make sure that your soon to be perfect resume includes these top tips.

A targeted and personalized cover letter: don’t send your resume on its own, introduce yourself in a professional cover letter, this is your first chance to impress so be polite and thank the reader for considering your application.

Contact information: please include a professional email address (no [email protected]) and a phone number. If you are applying as an overseas applicant, don’t forget the country and area code.

Summary: briefly describe your unique value proposition, highlighting your key accomplishments. Present yourself as a solution; remember the employer is trying to fill a need.

Work History: make sure that you only add experiences that are relevant to the job that you are applying to, and don’t leave any gaps.

Keep it Simple: make sure that your font is easy to read, Arial is best, and add some personality to it, but nothing over the top. Unless you are seeking a creative role such as graphic design, don’t add any fancy graphics. Limit it to 2 pages.

Include Degrees only: In your “education” section don’t add uncompleted course work, or university degrees. List the institution, qualification and graduation year.

Accomplishments: List achievements, not experiences. Employers want to see what you have succeeded to do, not what your duties were. For example, instead of noting “sales experience”, write “increased sales targets by X%”.

Your resume is your showcase – it should clearly and articulately display how your work experience and professional abilities speak to the job at hand. A job posting is a company’s expression of a need, a problem that needs solving, so make sure that your resume specifically speaks to how you will fill that need and solve that problem.

For all resume assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our team will help you identify your strengths and highlight your accomplishments.