Key Takeaways for you
| – Unless you have 5 or more years of experience, do NOT write your resume for more than a page. – Use a clear readable font with proper font size and line spacing. – While you are learning to write an SEO resume for a fresher you should follow this format, personal information, Summary, Academic profile, Skillset, Work Experience/Internship/ Projects, Certifications/Achievements, and Hobbies. – Always go the extra mile with creating a video resume, cover letter, and, designing your resume on Canva, and most importantly, cleaning up your search results. |
Are you setting foot into the SEO job market for the first time?
Are you plagued by the inevitable question of Work experience?
Is that preventing you from applying for that job you badly want?
Then this article is tailor-made for you. I am showing a way to present yourself to a hiring manager all on one page!
You read that right. ONE PAGE is all you need!
But before I tell you the secret to write an SEO resume for a fresher, you need to know:
Why is one page enough?
I am sure your instincts would be to pour your heart out trying to impress the recruiter with your many, probably even applaudable, qualities. After all, it is the first and only impression you can have until it gets picked for consideration.
But you know what? No one cares.
Unless you have five years of experience or more to brag about, you need not fill the pages!
Think of it from the hiring manager’s perspective. They need to go through hundreds of applications. Give them the specifics they would be looking for and make it easier for them to find it.
How do you make it easy for them while showing them your importance at the same time?
I will help you with that. If they have not asked for a specific format, feel free to follow mine.
How to write an SEO resume for a fresher?
Let me first set out the ground rules. I know it may seem silly or obvious to you. But these mistakes happen more often than not. So I am going to lay down these guidelines.
Use a clear readable font:
Please don’t use Comic Sans if you want to be taken seriously. A clean Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman should suffice.
Font size:
Not so small that the reviewer has to strain to read, and not too large and loud. An average of 12 pts for paragraphs and 16 for the headers and titles?
Line spacing:
Yes, it matters too. You can adjust it to 1.2.
Use bullet points with a limit of 5 pointers each.
Stick to one page, unless you have 5+ years of relevant experience.
Use white spaces effectively.
Resume Format
Now let us look at the contents of a resume, what to include, and what not to.
Personal Information:
You begin with your full name exactly as it is used in your personal records. Then you mention your Phone number, LinkedIn profile URL, and your website (and any other relevant social media handles).
DO NOT ADD:
- Your physical address,
- Date of birth,
- Work email address,
- Photo
- Irrelevant social media handles.
Unless they have asked for it in their application requirements. They are unnecessary in most cases.
Summary
Look at the following two examples:
- I am looking for an opportunity as an SEO specialist and to grow in a reputed company based out of Bangalore.
- SEO specialist with X years of hands-on experience with SEO and possessing excellent communication skills. Proficient in keyword research, On-page SEO, and content strategy.
Example a) focuses on your requirements as a job seeker, which is alright but don’t you think you are restricting yourself there?
Example b) on the other hand, focuses on what a hiring manager is looking for which is a better way to position yourself for hiring.
You can use it like a formula with One Key skill, One soft skill followed by proficiency in three sub-key skills. You can try to align these with the job requirements.
Academic Profile
List your education from the most recent to older ones in chronology till up to your 10th grade.
Skillset
You can divide your skills into hard skills and soft skills. Do not bluff about any of your skills. If your interviewer asks about any of them, you should be in a position to justify, explain or answer any question about them.
Examples of hard skills are Keyword Research, On-Page optimization, Speed optimization, Link Building, Content Writing, WordPress development Citation building, and Video SEO.
Soft Skills: Time Management, Verbal and Written Communication, adaptability, problem-solving, teamwork, creativity, leadership, interpersonal skills, work ethic, and attention to detail.
You can improvise according to the job requirements.
Work Experience/ Internships/Projects
Again, use reverse chronology and list them in bullet points. Don’t write in paragraphs. Here are some points to remember when you are listing your work experience:
- The first 2-3 words in each bullet point are important. Start with Action verbs.
- Quantify your achievements
- Highlight important words in bold, but don’t overdo it. Maybe you can do it 2-3 times.
- If have not worked anywhere, then have a project website where you have done SEO to show you know the skills you are claiming.
Eg.
- Crafted an SEO strategy from scratch to increase organic leads by 60% in 6 months
- Researched and identified 36 keyword clusters and opportunities
- Created 24 SEO-optimized pages around these keyword clusters in 6 months
- Built 15 links from high authority websites using guest post outreach and digital PR
- Achievement: Improved organic traffic by 82% and improved organic leads by 64%
Certifications/Achievements/Hobbies
You do not have to add every other certification you made in your life. Select the ones that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
Use minimal space for hobbies and add real hobbies and not things like listening to music, watching TV
Going the Extra mile
Remember people will not hire you because you have a pretty resume. But if you are a perfectionist and want to go the extra mile, then you can try some of these things.
- Use canva to design your resume.
- Modify your resume for each role you apply for (recommended)
- Include a cover letter (recommended)
- Create a video resume
- Clean up your search results.
Conclusion
Job hunting can be a very unsettling and stressful phase, especially for that first gig. But once you get your foot in the door, you can slowly push your way into the world out there.
Your resume is your ticket to that door, give your best shot. You will probably not land the first job you apply for, nor the second, or the next. But you need to keep at it.
Modify your resume, update it, and improve it every time you apply for a job as you would with yourself.
Have you prepared a resume yet?
Let me know in the comments if you got that job.
