Communications | Humanitarian | Advocacy | Digital Outreach | Engagement
One of the most common questions I get: 👉 “How do I write a strong resume?”
I’m glad people ask this, because your resume is your first impression, and in a competitive job market, that impression needs to be clear, compelling, and customised.
Whether you’re applying to a UN agency, an international NGO, or a multinational company, here are practical tips I’ve learned and used — ones that can make a resume stand out.
🔑 The Golden Rules of Resume Writing:
✅ Be specific, not vague ❌ “Worked on social media” ✔️ “Managed Facebook & Instagram pages, growing followers by 150% in 6 months”
✅ Use strong action verbs Start with “led,” “developed,” “designed,” not “responsible for” or “involved in.”
✅ Prioritize clarity over jargon ❌ “Facilitated comprehensive engagement sessions” ✔️ “Led community meetings to gather feedback”
✅ Focus on facts and results ❌ “Improved internal communication” ✔️ “Increased employee newsletter open rate from 25% to 65% in 3 months”
âś… Make it easy to skim đź“Ś Bullet points đź“Ś Bold job titles and dates đź“Ś Keep layout clean and consistent
⚠️ Common Mistakes Smart People Still Make:
đźš« Typos đźš« Long, generic descriptions đźš« Same resume for every job đźš« Bad formatting or clutter đźš« Missing contact info
đź“„ Resume Length: How long is too long?
- 🎓 Fresh grad: 1 page
- 💼 Mid-career (3–10 yrs): 2 pages
- 🧠Senior-level: Max 2–3 pages (but make every word count)
🧩 What to Include:
- Header: Name | Contact | LinkedIn | City | Languages
- Career Summary (Your 30-sec pitch)
- Professional Achievements (not duties!)
- Education (brief)
- Key Skills (matched to job post)
- Trainings & Certifications (relevant only)
đź’ˇ Examples of Great Career Summaries:
“Impact-driven communications professional with 12+ years’ experience in crisis contexts. Proven track record in digital strategy, advocacy & donor communications across South Asia.”
đź’Ľ Include Professional Achievements not Job Duties:
✔️ “Developed youth engagement strategy reaching 10,000+ across 4 countries” ✔️ “Produced donor report that secured an additional $1.2M in funding”
🎯 Bonus Tips:
- Use past tense (even for current jobs)
- 4–5 bullets per role
- Move Education to bottom if you have 3+ years’ experience
- Mix hard & soft skills (yes, AI skills too!)
- Use clean fonts (Calibri, Arial, size 11–12)
- Avoid colors, tables, or photos
- File name matters → FirstName_LastName_Resume_2025.pdf
🤖 Beat the ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems)
Most large orgs use ATS to scan resumes before a human does. To increase your chances:
✔️ Use keywords from the job description ✔️ Avoid images or fancy formatting ✔️ Run job ad through a word cloud generator to identify important terms
❤️ Volunteer Work Matters (Especially in the Development Sector)
Field or volunteer experience is often as valuable as paid roles. List it — especially if it aligns with the sector or role.
🛑 Please, Don’t Lie
It’s okay to highlight your strengths — but don’t exaggerate skills you don’t have. Trust me, hiring managers can tell.
🤔 A Few Final FAQs:
📸 Do I need a photo? → No, unless the job ad says so 👥 Add references? → Not now; only when requested 🔏 Marital status/religion? → Skip it unless asked
💬 Bottom line? There’s no “perfect” resume format — but there is a right mindset:
🎯 Clear, honest, focused on value, and tailored to each opportunity.
If you found this helpful or want more resume/job hunt tips, feel free to connect or drop me a message!
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