We may receive compensation when you click on product links from our partners. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.
Resumes are the trickiest bits of writing that the average person is likely to have to deal with in their lifetime.
Luckily it doesn’t require stellar computer skills or a writing degree to catch your target company’s attention. Here are a few great resume tips to help you make a great impression so that you’ll get that job interview and the chance to present your skills in greater depth.
Discover 30 top resume writing hacks that when implemented correctly will move your resume to the top of the stack.
1. Don’t Write a Novel
The length of
“You need to always be looking to grow, to push your experience, and make sure that
your resume only ever gets a yes! And this can sound like a lot of work. But, if you want to make sure that you start getting interviews for the jobs you want, you need to rechargeyour resume . And here’s how.” – 10 Things That Can Recharge Your Resume
2. Only List Related Experience
Don’t list any work experience or accomplishments that don’t relate to the job that you are applying for. If you have diverse experience, consider having multiple resumes (see How Many Resumes Do You Have?). Having gaps in your work history will most likely require an explanation during the interview, but
3. Don’t make an Objective Statement
Objective statements are outdated and pointless. Unless the employer specifically asks for one there is no need to include one. They tend to be pedantic, and largely meaningless, and they take up precious real estate on your single page of space that you need to use to fill with all of your relevant skills and qualifications. This might be a bit of an unusual resume tip since some employers are quite attached to their opening statements, but they rarely contribute anything to your chances at an interview.
If you're looking for help in reviewing and updating your resume, we've created a list of our resume review and resume writing partners. Many will provide a free review of your resume.
4. Don’t use Graphics or Color
Flashy graphics, highlighted phrases, sentences, or clip art are all not appropriate for
Are you fed up with being unemployed or not having the job you deserve? This book is exactly what you’re looking for! Get great tips and best practices for the modern job seeker STRAIGHT FROM A RECRUITING INSIDER with years of experience at one of the largest professional recruiting companies in the world.
As far as resume tips go, the most important overarching goal is that the whole document needs to look clean, simple, and easily readable. The reader will need to be able to scan over it in a few seconds and have a reasonable idea of who you are, what you’ve done, and why you’re applying.
5. Customize
There are a huge number of resume templates out there, and chances are that you’re using one of them or a sample resume of some sort if you’re reading this. Don’t feel the need to fill in every bit of information that a template asks for if you don’t think that it’s relevant to the application. Also, if there is something you’d like to mention that doesn’t fit in the proffered template, don’t hesitate to reformat it to suit your needs and reflect your accomplishments as well as possible. These tools exist to assist you, not to constrain you.
If you're looking for help in reviewing and updating your resume, we've created a list of our resume review and resume writing partners. Many will provide a free review of your resume.
