What to Put on Your Resume: A Simple Guide for Cebu Job Seekers

1. Contact details: your full name, mobile number, a professional-looking email address and your city or municipality (for example, Mandaue City, Cebu).
2. Short summary: two or three sentences about your strengths and the job you want.
3. Work experience: start with your latest job. Give the company, your position, the dates and two or three results or tasks you handled.
4. Education and training: school, course and year, plus relevant seminars or short courses such as TESDA certificates.
5. Skills: only those that fit the job, such as customer service, MS Office, languages (English, Filipino, Bisaya) or technical skills.
6. References: two people who can vouch for your work, with their permission.

Keep your resume focused on the job. You can usually leave out personal details that do not affect your ability to work, such as religion or your parents' names. Skip long paragraphs, unrelated jobs from many years ago, and anything that is not true.

Check your spelling and dates carefully. Save the file as a PDF, name it clearly (for example, JuanDelaCruz_Resume.pdf), and aim for one page, or two if you have many years of experience.

Always tailor your resume to the job. Read the job post and use the same key words where they honestly describe your experience.

PhilJobNet, the Department of Labor and Employment's job portal, lists openings from employers across the country. You can also visit your local Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in your city or municipality for job referrals and job fairs.

Be careful with job offers that ask for payment before hiring. If it sounds too good to be true, verify the company first.

Good luck, and may your next application be the one!