Resume Writing

A resume is a personal marketing document used to present your qualifications, skills, experiences, and achievements to potential employers or scholarship providers. A well-prepared resume helps create a strong first impression and increases your chances of being shortlisted.

This section provides guidance on how to prepare a professional resume that matches job or scholarship requirements.

Key Content

• Types of Resumes
  
  
  
  
  • Conventional Resume
    
    
    
    
    • Simple, formal, and professional in design.
    
    
    • Commonly used for corporate, government, and administrative roles.
    
    
    • Focuses more on content than graphics.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Creative Resume
    
    
    
    • Visually attractive and engaging.
    
    
    • Suitable for creative industries such as graphic design, media, marketing, or content creation.
    
    
    • Should remain professional and easy to read.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

• Essential Resume Sections
  
  
  
  
  • Contact Details
  
  
  
  

Include accurate and updated contact information such as:

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    • Full name
    
    
    • Email address
    
    
    • Contact number
    
    
    • LinkedIn profile or professional portfolio link (if relevant)
    
    
    • QR code linking to portfolio or professional profile (optional)
    
    
    • Ensure all information is professional and active.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Profile Summary
  
  
  
  

Write a short introduction about yourself, usually 3–5 lines. Include:

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    • Academic or professional background
    
    
    • Key skills and strengths
    
    
    • Relevant achievements
    
    
    • Career goals
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

This section should be tailored to the job or scholarship you are applying for.

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  • Education / Qualifications
  
  
  
  

List your academic background clearly. Include:

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    • Highest qualification first
    
    
    • Institution name
    
    
    • Course / programme name
    
    
    • Year of completion
    
    
    • Relevant certifications or short courses
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Arrange entries from latest to earliest. May exclude primary school details.

Highlight strong academic results if relevant.

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  • Experience
    
    
    
    
    • Include any relevant experience such as internships, part-time or contract roles, projects, and related job responsibilities.
    
    
    • Include your job scope and any relevant projects you have been involved in previously.
    
    
    • Try to match your previous working experience with the job or scholarship advertisement, especially if your experience is not directly related, by using relevant keywords from the requirements.
    
    
    • Arrange all entries with the most recent first.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

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  • Achievements & Involvement
    
    
    
    
    • Include awards, training, competitions, leadership roles, and volunteer activities.
    
    
    • It is best to include achievements and involvement that are relevant to the job or scholarship advertisement.
    
    
    • Select activities within the last five years and prioritise your highest achievements or most significant involvement.
    
    
    • You may separate this section into several categories, such as:
      
      
      
      1. Training / Seminars / Courses
      
      
      2. Awards / Competitions
      
      
      3. Leadership / Responsibilities
      
      
      
      
    
    
    • Arrange all entries with the most recent first.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

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  • Skills & Interests
    
    
    
    
    • Include technical skills, language proficiency, tools, software, and areas of interest.
    
    
    • Avoid including soft skills, as these can be demonstrated through the Achievements & Involvement section.
    
    
    • You may include the level of competency (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced).
    
    
    • Refer to the job or scholarship advertisement to identify the skills required by the organisation.
    
    
    • Example: Microsoft Excel (Advanced), Canva (Intermediate)
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

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  • References
    
    
    
    
    • Provide the contact details of individuals who can recommend you professionally.
    
    
    • Examples: Lecturer, Former employer, Supervisor, Mentor
    
    
    • Always obtain permission before listing someone as a referee.
    
    
    • Ensure their contact details are correct and updated.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

• Resume Design & Layout
  
  
  
  
  • Maintain a clean, tidy, and professional layout. Use not more than two colour combinations and choose professional colours.
  
  
  • Use consistent formatting and suitable fonts. Ensure the font type and size are easy to read. Avoid using cursive or italic fonts. Do not use capital letters throughout the resume, except for titles or section headers.
  
  
  • Focus on achievements, leadership, teamwork, and relevant skills. Select content that is most relevant to the job or scholarship advertisement. It is best to include activities from the past five years only.
  
  
  • Use keywords related to the job application. Always refer to the job or scholarship advertisement and customise your resume for every application.
  
  
  
  

• Cover Letter Basics
  
  
  
  
  • Introduces the applicant and expresses interest in the position.
  
  
  • Highlights relevant experience, skills, and strengths that match the job requirements.
  
  
  • Explains why the applicant is suitable for the role. Each cover letter should be customised for every job application.