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What makes resume writing difficult is identifying what
to include, what not to, what to highlight, what to
de-emphasize, etc. HR professionals and hiring managers
receive hundreds (if not thousands) of resumes for any given
position; therefore, the bottom line is that they will spend
about 10-30 seconds on yours. Organizing information
incorrectly could cost you a shot at an interview,
unfortunately it's a very common mistake made by job
seekers. Please start by
reviewing cover letter writing tips.
Resume writing tips
Before putting your pen to paper (or fingers to the keys),
begin by determining your objective (do this prior to
writing the resume). You should clearly state what sort of a
job you want, and know what kinds of skills and experiences
are needed to do well in that job. Even if you decide to
change your job objective later, it is very important that
you decide on a temporary objective for now. After your
objective is determined, you can structure the content of
your resume around that objective. As noted above, you have
a very small window of time to get the interest of a hiring
manager, therefore being general and scattered will insure
that your resume is filed in the
the trash can. Therefore, it is essential that you take the
time before you start your resume to form a clear and
targeted objective.
Now that you have your objective, you're on your way. Now
lets begin the resume writing process. Keep in mind, the
single and most important goal of a resume is to obtain an
interview. It's a marketing tool to get you in the company
and in front of your potential boss – that’s it. Once in,
you will need to do the sales pitch, and close the deal.
With that said, you do not want to go into detail about
every accomplishment in your resume. Strive to be clear and
concise, as the sole purpose is to have a potential employer
contact you for an interview. Bottom line – you should put
yourself in the shoes of the resume reader - when looking at
the job qualifications needed for the position; what would
you be looking for in a candidate - Obviously, that is what
you should include in your resume.
Use bullet points with short sentences:
In the body of your resume, use bullet points with short
sentences rather than lengthy paragraphs. As noted above,
resumes are read quickly (usually 10-30 seconds). Therefore,
having key phrases standing alone and bulleted will help the
reader see the important information at a glance - while at
the same time absorbing the most important information.
Again, don't worry about the specifics; you will go into the
details during the interview.
Use action words: words like prepared, managed, developed,
monitored, and presented will cause your resume to stand
out. In addition to standing out to a reader - you are also
insuring that if your resume is scanned, the computer will
pick up on the words. You read correctly, some companies now
scan in your resume, and have computers pick the resumes to
be looked at. The computers are looking for one thing –
they’re looking for keywords that have been picked by the
hiring manager. These are action key words that relate
to the position; therefore not including them could mean
your resume is disregarded as a "non-match".
You should always use %'s, $'s and #'s: Percentages, dollar
totals, and numbers stand out in the body of a resume. An example below of a job duty described with them
(correct), and without (incorrect). As is obvious with the
below examples, being specific does not mean being lengthy.
Example
Incorrect: Sold advertising to 15 companies
Correct: Closed 15 strategic accounts billing in excess of
$20M annually
Highlight your strengths: and what is most relevant to the
potential employer. Due to the fact that most resumes are
typically reviewed in 10-30 seconds, put forth the effort
and determine which bullets most strongly support your job
search objective. Put the strong and most relevant points
first where they are more apt to be read. Doing this will
hook the reader, and the rest of your resume will reel them
in.
Match the needs of the hiring company: Review job postings
online and in the newspapers for positions that interest
you. Each listing will almost always have a brief blurb
about the company and the position available. Read the job
description closely, and use the key words listed in these
ads, and match them to the bullet points in your resume.
Chances are that you have some of these as key points
already, however if you have missed any, be sure to add them
to your resume. It sounds obvious, but its worth mentioning
that using a custom resume instead of a generic one will
greatly increase your chances of an interview, as you will
be a better match in the eyes of the reader – how can you
not be? – you’ve tailored your resume to the position.
Be positive: Above all in your resume and interview - you must be
positive. Therefore, avoid including negative and irrelevant
points. If you feel your graduation date will subject you to
age discrimination, leave it off your resume. If you do some
duties in your current job that don't support your job
search objective, do not include them. Focus on the duties
that do support your objective, and leave off irrelevant
personal information like your race, weight, and height.
White space is important to your resume: For this reason, don't
worry if you are having a hard time filling the page with
text; increase your line spacing to compensate – this will
increase the white space – and really, that’s a good thing.
How long should my resume be? What size font should I use?
The font size should be no smaller than 10 point, and the
length of your resume should be 1-2 pages. Yes, you read
correctly; you can use more than one page. But remember,
keep it concise. It's ok to use 2 pages for your resume,
however it’s not necessary.
Get an outside
opinion: Ask a friend, and get an outside opinion on your resume
before sending it off. You should always have a 3rd party or
resume critique service review your resume. You are so close
to your situation, it can be difficult for you to note all
your high points and clearly convey all your
accomplishments. Having someone besides you review your
resume will allow you to note how others will view your
marketing materials - would your resume impress them? If
not, why? Don't settle for - "it's good". You must encourage
the 3rd party to give you feedback and ask questions. These
questions from the reader can help you to discover items you
inadvertently left off your resume. Take their comments into
consideration, and revise your resume to include these
items. In addition to adding in missed items, their
questions can also point to items on your resume that are
confusing to the reader. This valuable input will allow you
to clarify your resume based on this input.
Applying for positions: You’re ready to start – When
submitting your resume, you should apply for some jobs that
appear to be above your qualifications, apply to positions
that are a match, and apply to positions which may be
beneath you. Why? Perhaps the position beneath will turn out
to be more than it appeared once you interview for them. Or
perhaps once you have your foot in the door you can learn of
other opportunities. If nothing else, interviewing more and
more will increase your interviewing skills. Like anything
else, repetition will decrease your nervousness, and
increase your skills at attacking the tough questions.
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