If you’re fresh out of college and about to enter the workforce, you would need to think about how to impress a prospective employer with a winning resume. A resume must coherently convey your professionalism and capabilities, since it is the first tangible proof of your credentials. Here are several key pointers on how to write your first resume:

Keep it brief, yet concise.

You should be able to include all the necessary information within a page or two. Gather all your contact details, decide on a career objective, and organize all the relevant materials, like schools or institutions attended, certifications and competencies garnered, internships, experience obtained, etc.

Make it appeal to the reader.

Use Arial or Times New Roman with a font size no smaller than 11 or 12, typed on clean, white coupon bond. Use bold letters and employ bullets, especially when emphasizing dates. Be extremely careful about misplaced punctuation marks and misspellings. Neglecting even the tiniest details will give the impression that you do not take the job hunt seriously.

Avoid using the passive voice.

Human resource personnel want individuals who are dynamic and results-oriented, well-trained for the rigors of the corporate world. In a winning resume, they search for key words that prove competency. To do this, you must use action verbs, such as “delegate, establish, manage, streamline,” etc. Compare the following statements: “Is good at making PowerPoint presentations and training materials,” to “Managed to create PowerPoint presentations and other training materials for educators.” The latter expresses a more upfront way that the individual is capable at a specific task or tasks.

Highlight specific achievements.

Fresh graduates and entry-level applicants usually have little to no experience. Your best bet would be your participation in academic and extra-curricular activities, like quiz bees, student organizations, sports teams, chorus, drama club, etc. If you’ve held important positions in your student office, write those down. If you’ve been voted editor-in-chief of your school organ, don’t neglect to mention it. Participation in such activities shows that the individual is holistic, balanced, and was able to cultivate the necessary interpersonal traits that are crucial in order to succeed in business.

Avoid lying.

Although a resume is not the place to be shy about your accomplishments, don’t aim to boost your credentials by faking certain details, either, like honors received or positions held. The interviewer might ask you to talk about something you’ve written, and as you fudge your answers, he might discover that you’ve made up all those details. This would result to embarrassment and, worse, a bad impression.

Here’s one last sound advice. Before presenting your resume, have it read by family members, friends, or other trusted individuals. It is important for you to listen to their comments and suggestions. Ask about areas that could need improvement.