I read an article emphasizing the need of resumes to be simple and easy to understand. Thinking aloud, why and how a resume could get complicated, difficult to understand and what could complicate it? A few Google searches and I got my answer!!Let me share some of the funny and obscure designations that came up in my search; Beverage Dissemination Officer (our friendly bartender), Problem Wrangler (a consultant), Digital Dynamo (Digital Marketing executive), Kindle Evangelist (not sure what this one means though), Change Magician (seriously !!), Professionalist (????) and the list goes on*.The importance of a resume being simple and concise cannot be undermined. A resume should speak about your education, skills and work experience. While it may be difficult to prescribe the ‘best way’ to write a resume, it should always be clear, accurate, concise and neatly displayed.Understand the job profile and tweak your resume to highlight skills matching the employer needs.Understand the importance of using keywords. Most recruiters now rely on applicant tracking systems (ATS) where searches are done and filtered using keywords. Use keywords which match your skills, experience and job profiles. However, ensure you do not flood your resume with keywords as this may end up in confusing the recruiter.A one pager resume tends to get noticed faster, are easier to read and retain recruiter’s interest. Job specific details can be discussed during face-to-face interviews.Use active, action verbs as they give strength and clarity to your profile. Verbs such as achieved, accomplished, analysed, capitalized, collaborated, conceptualized, executed, founded, generated, handled, improved, increased, influenced, maximized, performed, presented, resolved, reconciled and so on.Finally use a simple and clear template. Focus on using bulleted points, different font (size & type) for headings and most important margins (1” inch or two finger space).A resume is the first step towards getting that dream job, it’s our branding tool, it’s making the sales pitch for us to get the best deal. So, put on your thinking hat and work towards creating a good one, use fewer words to convey information.For now, I will go back to wearing my thinking hat!