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Your resume serves as the first (and potentially, the final) point of contact with hiring managers seeking to fill an open position. If it fails to grab their attention, the chances of securing an interview dwindle. It’s not uncommon for hiring managers to be inundated with hundreds of resumes in response to a single job posting. To pare down the overwhelming number of applications to a manageable shortlist, hiring managers often discard resumes that don’t meet their specific criteria.
Some guidelines for your resume:
1. Concise style
As a first step, many resumes are scanned rather than read word for word, at least on the first go-through. That means that keeping things concise and precise will help boost your chances of getting your resume into the interview pile. Unless you have loads of relevant work experience, aim to keep your resume to one page. You can always add extra relevant details in a cover letter or at an interview.
2. Outcomes and results
Prospective employers are interested in more than just your previous workplaces; they want to understand the impact you’ve made. Highlight specific achievements and results, whether it’s increased website traffic, successful project completion, or a certain sales volume. Aim to provide at least one tangible accomplishment for each job you list, demonstrating your ability to drive success.
3. Action verbs
Instead of merely stating your past roles, focus on articulating the actions you took. Whether you spearheaded promotions, mentored teams, recruited talent, drove sales, or devised innovative strategies, using action verbs brings vibrancy and focus to
4. Numbers
Including measurable results in
5. Increasing responsibility
Listing each role you’ve held, including those involving slight shifts or incremental responsibility with the same employer, is beneficial when creating
6. Solutions
This is your opportunity to customize
7. Honors
Be sure to include any accolades you’ve received as an employee (or student, if you’re a recent graduate). Additionally, if you’ve received commendations in your most recent employee review, consider including those results. Even being recognized as the employee of the month at a fast-food restaurant you worked at during school can highlight your work ethic and dedication. These honors and acknowledgments demonstrate your commitment to your work and can provide valuable insights into your character as a diligent employee.
A few other things employers might look at
While you’re polishing up
- Your Credit Report: Your credit report isn’t just used by lenders to gauge your financial responsibility. Depending on your state law and local regulations, it can also be used by potential employers to gauge how responsible you are with your life in general. A clean credit report can make the difference between getting hired and not getting hired. Pull a copy of your report before sending out resumes to make sure it’s error-free. If you have a load of debt, consider transferring it to low-cost credit cards and paying it down quickly to clean up your report a bit.
- Your Social Media Profile: Your internet reputation has a lot to do with your hire-ability these days. Clean up your photos and posts, and run a Google search on yourself (see Are Your Social Media Habits About to Cost You Your Job?) to make sure nothing too unsavory comes up. Photos of or posts about having a couple of drinks on a night out shouldn’t hurt you unless you’re applying to a religious or non-profit organization that’s very picky about reputation, but you should remove everything that might suggest you like to party hard or that you have recently made poor life choices. More and more employers are checking up on social media, so make sure it’s under control before you apply!
Additional Resources
The Elements of Resume Style: Essential Rules for Writing Resumes and Cover Letters That Work
The Elements of Resume Style by Scott Bennett is a practical guide to writing a resume that stands out. The book offers clear and concise advice on everything from formatting to content, with tips on how to highlight your achievements and accomplishments. Bennett also provides advice on how to craft a compelling cover letter that complements
Building your résumé should be one of the easier parts to the whole job-interview process. But instead it’s becoming increasingly stressful as well!
The Damn Good Resume Guide: A Crash Course in Resume Writing
The Damn Good Resume Guide by Yana Parker is a classic book that has been helping job seekers create great resumes for over thirty years. The book provides practical advice on everything from formatting to content, with a focus on crafting a resume that tells a compelling story about your skills and experiences. Parker also provides guidance on how to tailor
For hundreds of thousands of job seekers, The Damn Good Resume Guide has been the go-to resource for writing and refining their resumes to damn near perfection. Filled with savvy advice and written in a straightforward, user-friendly style, The Damn Good Resume Guide will help you zero in on that dream job.
Resume Magic
Resume Magic by Susan Britton Whitcomb is an excellent resource for anyone looking to create a standout resume. The book offers practical tips and trade secrets from a professional resume writer, with a focus on crafting a resume that tells a compelling story about your skills and experiences. Highly recommended.
