10 tips for International University Candidates to making your resume from good to great

University Recruiter shares her insights on tried and true tips to landing your dream job at Microsoft!

As an International University recruiter for Microsoft, I get an opportunity to review a large number of resumes from students from every corner in Latin America. I’ve found that the style and the format of a resume varies greatly depending on the country you live in. In Latin American countries, it is very common to find resumes that are two or three pages long, that include personal information such as marital status and a picture. In Colombia, there is even a special folder that you buy specifically for submitting a printed version of your resume!

During my visits to these universities, I often encounter students that have done their homework and prepared their resume thoughtfully. Other times however, I engage in conversation with candidates that are great, but their resumes unfortunately do not reflect their experience, projects nor potential. While I get the opportunity to provide feedback in person when I’m on campus, that is not necessarily the case for someone who submits their resume online, creating a disadvantage for the candidate.

For candidates looking to spicing up their resume, I’ve gathered top 10 tips and mistakes to avoid in order to make your resume from good to great! Here's what I have seen in successful candidates:

1.     Honesty

This is one of Microsoft's values. We expect candidates to be honest about their skills, knowledge and experience. Lying is a serious offense, don't do it.

2.     Include your graduation date

Graduation date refers to the month and year when you will complete or completed your required courses for your degree, not when you will receive your physical Diploma. These two pieces of information are crucial as they will determine your eligibility for the different University Recruiting Programs we have at Microsoft.

3.     Keep your personal information at minimum

We only need your full name, telephone and email. Including your Github or LinkedIn profiles is encouraged. Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer; therefore, it’s not necessary to include in your resume: your age, date of birth, marital status, religion, political or sexual preference, tax ID nor social security number.

4.     Remember who your readers are… and where they come from

There is a great number of people involved at a recruiting cycle. As a recruiter, I will be your first point of contact and you will get to meet several interviewers in the different stages. If you get an offer, you will be assigned to a team, and your future manager and team will also review your resume. As a global company, Microsoft employees come from all over the world. To give you an idea, about 30% of our engineers are international, representing 157 nationalities. Make sure the information in your resume is clear and comprehensive, so every single person involved is able to portray a holistic overview of your profile and experience. For example, if you worked at a local company, give context of the size and scope of the organization, so it is clear for your readers.

5.     Think before writing

Take your time to prepare your resume. Writing your resume the night before is a "no-no". Submitting your resume is the first step in the recruiting process and high-quality resumes lead to an interview. If your resume is poorly written, you will miss a great opportunity, and you just don't want that.

6.     The one-page rule

In many countries, it is expected to have a three - four (sometimes even more) pages long resume. If you are applying to a global company like Microsoft, use the one-page rule for every 10 years of experience. This may sound hard at the beginning, but it is possible!

7.     Be specific

It is very likely that once you submit your resume, we will not have the chance to talk to you until the day of your interview. You want to make sure the information is complete and clear, therefore, providing details is key. Here’s a simple formula to outline your projects and experience: what did you do?, how did you do it? and what was the result or impact?

8.     Bullet points and action verbs are your best friends

Writing a resume is different from an essay, so remember to use bullet points instead of paragraphs. To begin your sentence, use an action verb (implement, manage, code, lead) instead of personal pronouns. You should use past or present tense depending if you are describing a past or a current experience or project.

9.     Get feedback and proofread

Once you have worked on your resume, ask for feedback to a professor or a working professional. Incorporate their tips into your resume. Whether you are a native English speaker or not, I recommend having someone review your grammar and potential typos. It is quite common to ignore mistakes after you have been working on the same document for a while.

10. Quality Assurance

Is your resume organized? Is the format clean and easy to read? Is the information complete? Am I providing enough details? Is the font clear and has a good size?

If you follow this guidelines and answer yes to all of the above, you are ready to go!