Having a solid and effective resume can greatly improve your chances
of landing that dream job. That is beyond discussion. How does one make
sure that his resume is top notch and bullet proof, however? There are
several websites with tips around the web, but most bring just a handful
of them. We wanted to put them all together in a single place, and that
is what you will find below: 44 resume writing tips.
1. Know the purpose of your resume
Some people write a resume as if the purpose of the document was to
land a job. As a result they end up with a really long and boring piece
that makes them look like desperate job hunters. The objective of your
resume is to land an interview, and the interview will land you the job
(hopefully!).
2. Back up your qualities and strengths
Instead of creating a long (and boring) list with all your qualities
(e.g., disciplined, creative, problem solver) try to connect them with
real life and work experiences. In other words, you need to back these
qualities and strengths up, else it will appear that you are just trying
to inflate things.
3. Make sure to use the right keywords
Most companies (even smaller ones) are already using digital
databases to search for candidates. This means that the HR department
will run search queries based on specific keywords. Guess what, if your
resume doesn’t have the keywords related to the job you are applying
for, you will be out even before the game starts.
These keywords will usually be nouns. Check the job description and
related job ads for a clue on what the employer might be looking for.
You can read more about resume keywords on the article Tapping the Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resume’s Effectiveness.
4. Use effective titles
Like it or not, employers will usually make a judgment about your
resume in 5 seconds. Under this time frame the most important aspect
will be the titles that you listed on the resume, so make sure they grab
the attention. Try to be as descriptive as possible, giving the
employer a good idea about the nature of your past work experiences. For
example:
Bad title: Accounting
Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping
Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping
5. Proofread it twice
It would be difficult to emphasize the importance of proofreading
your resume. One small typo and your chances of getting hired could
slip. Proofreading it once is not enough, so do it twice, three times or
as many as necessary. If you don’t know how to proofread effectively,
here are 8 tips that you can use.
6. Use bullet points
No employer will have the time (or patience) to read long paragraphs
of text. Make sure, therefore, to use bullet points and short sentences
to describe your experiences, educational background and professional
objectives.
7. Where are you going?
Including professional goals can help you by giving employers an idea
of where you are going, and how you want to arrive there. You don’t
need to have a special section devoted to your professional objectives,
but overall the resume must communicate it. The question of whether or
not to highlight your career objectives on the resume is a polemic one
among HR managers, so go with your feeling. If you decide to list them,
make sure they are not generic.
8. Put the most important information first
This point is valid both to the overall order of your resume, as well
as to the individual sections. Most of the times your previous work
experience will be the most important part of the resume, so put it at
the top. When describing your experiences or skills, list the most
important ones first.
9. Attention to the typography
First of all make sure that your fonts are big enough. The smaller
you should go is 11 points, but 12 is probably safer. Do not use capital
letters all over the place, remember that your goal is to communicate a
message as fast and as clearly as possible. Arial and Times are good
choices.
10. Do not include “no kidding” information
There are many people that like to include statements like “Available
for interview” or “References available upon request.” If you are
sending a resume to a company, it should be a given that you are
available for an interview and that you will provide references if
requested. Just avoid items that will make the employer think “no
kidding!”
11. Explain the benefits of your skills
Merely stating that you can do something will not catch the attention
of the employer. If you manage to explain how it will benefit his
company, and to connect it to tangible results, then you will greatly
improve your chances.
12. Avoid negativity
Do not include information that might sound negative in the eyes of
the employer. This is valid both to your resume and to interviews. You
don’t need to include, for instance, things that you hated about your
last company.
13. Achievements instead of responsibilities
Resumes that include a long list of “responsibilities included…” are
plain boring, and not efficient in selling yourself. Instead of listing
responsibilities, therefore, describe your professional achievements.
14. No pictures
Sure, we know that you are good looking, but unless you are applying
for a job where the physical traits are very important (e.g., modeling,
acting and so on), and unless the employer specifically requested it,
you should avoid attaching your picture to the resume.
15. Use numbers
This tip is a complement to the 13th one. If you are going to
describe your past professional achievements, it would be a good idea to
make them as solid as possible. Numbers are your friends here. Don’t
merely mention that you increased the annual revenues of your division,
say that you increased them by $100,000, by 78%, and so on.
16. One resume for each employer
One of the most common mistakes that people make is to create a
standard resume and send it to all the job openings that they can find.
Sure it will save you time, but it will also greatly decrease the
chances of landing an interview (so in reality it could even represent a
waste of time). Tailor your resume for each employer. The same point
applies to your cover letters.
17. Identify the problems of the employer
A good starting point to tailor your resume for a specific employer
is to identify what possible problems he might have at hand. Try to
understand the market of the company you are applying for a job, and
identify what kind of difficulties they might be going through. After
that illustrate on your resume how you and your skills would help to
solve those problems.
18. Avoid age discrimination
It is illegal to discriminate people because of their age, but some
employers do these considerations nonetheless. Why risk the trouble?
Unless specifically requested, do not include your age on your resume.
19. You don’t need to list all your work experiences
If you have job experiences that you are not proud of, or that are
not relevant to the current opportunity, you should just omit them.
Mentioning that you used to sell hamburgers when you were 17 is probably
not going to help you land that executive position.
20. Go with what you got
If you never had any real working experience, just include your
summer jobs or volunteer work. If you don’t have a degree yet, mention
the title and the estimated date for completion. As long as those points
are relevant to the job in question, it does not matter if they are official or not.
21. Sell your fish
Remember that you are trying to sell yourself. As long as you don’t
go over the edge, all the marketing efforts that you can put in your
resume (in its content, design, delivery method and so on) will give you
an advantage over the other candidates.
22. Don’t include irrelevant information
Irrelevant information such as political affiliation, religion and
sexual preference will not help you. In fact it might even hurt your
chances of landing an interview. Just skip it.
Read More... 44 Resume Writing Tips