A resume is more than a written summary of your professional history—it’s an extension of your professional self. That said, it takes recruiters and hiring managers less than seven seconds to decide whether you make the cut, so you need to ensure your resume lets your best qualities shine. Here are 3 quick tips to keep in mind when priming your resume for success.
1. Keep things short…but smart
Because recruiters sift through so many resumes, they will usually just scan through them. This is why it’s essential to keep your information short and straight to the point.
Do away with the lengthy paragraphs! Bullet points are your friend. Not only that, be sure to use active words when writing your resume like “directed,” “led,” or “facilitated,” instead of “assisted with” or “helped with.” This signals to a recruiter that you take active roles in your work.
If you can include numbers and statistics—that’s the cherry on top. There’s nothing more attractive than quantifiable results!
2. Do your research!
You can write the most perfect resume but it will not work if it isn’t tailored for the position you’re applying for. It may be tempting to write up a single resume for multiple job applications, but customizing them for each is the best way to go.
One way to tailor your resume for a job you’re applying for is by reading the job posting thoroughly and taking note of specific keywords about the position. Integrate those keywords into your resume.
If you apply for jobs online, your resume will have passed through an ATS (Applicant Tracking System), which filters and parses hundreds of resumes before they get to a hiring manager. With the right keywords, your resume will sail breezily through the tracking system toward human hands in no time.
3. Edit, edit, and edit
It may be a hard day’s work putting together your entire career into a perfect page, but that doesn’t mean your work is done. Take a break, put your resume away for an hour or two—sleep on it, if you must—and comb through it again for any errors. Here’s what to look out for:
Excessive formatting - No need for all those extra font styles, underlines, curlicues, and whatnot. Keep things simple and easy to look at!
Typos and spelling errors - These are easy to overlook! If you can, run your resume through spellchecking software, especially if your eyes are too tired.
Consistent verb tenses - If you’re using a specific verb tense for most of your resume, keep it that way! Otherwise, your resume will be a confusing read.
Irrelevant skills and history - Recruiters may not need to know about your skills as a juggler if you’re applying for a programming position, for example. And no, even if you use it as a metaphor for juggling many tasks at once!
At Wordsmith, we make sure to work with you to craft the perfect resume that’s tailored to your professional history and goals. Don’t be shy—reach out to us! We look forward to working with you.
Comments