Your resume reflects your career and is a first impression before even stepping foot inside the office building for an interview. It allows a recruiter to decide whether or not you would be a good fit for the available position. Build an amazing resume by incorporating the following 10 tips.
- Look and include keywords from the job posting.
Before you begin writing your resume, review the job posting carefully and highlight important descriptions and keywords. Include these keywords in your resume when possible. Additionally, it’s important to pay attention to the “Requirements” or “Qualifications” sections. These are skills that the employer is looking for and it is beneficial to include these terms in your resume as well. - Review resumes specific for your industry.
Each industry has its own form of resumes. For instance, federal resumes are lengthy and detailed. By researching best practices and implementing them into your resume, you have a higher chance of earning that position. - Use a professional font.
Recruiters have a short time to review all the resumes that are submitted to them. It is best to use clean and basic fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman. By keeping the font size between 10 and 12 points, this gives your resume a more professional appearance. - List the most important information first and include the most relevant information only.
Did you know that hiring managers spend approximately 6 seconds per resume? It is important to keep your resume brief while maintaining and listing the more relevant information first. It is best to include achievements, education and skills, and work experience that is relevant to the position you are applying for. - Include active language.
Using active language is important without adding filler words. Your resume should be concise and to the point. - Showcase important achievements.
You worked hard and your resume should reflect it! Instead of listing your job duties in the experience section, select your top most important achievements. When possible, include measurable goals such as analytics from a recent marketing campaign. - Only include sections that relate to the job postings.
When creating your resume, there are certain sections that you do not need to add to it. This all depends on the type of position and the work experience that you may have. For recent graduates with little to no work experience, do not include an empty work section. List relevant coursework, internships, and extracurricular activities. - Use appropriate margin.
A one-inch margin and single spaced lines are typically used. If you don’t have enough information to fill your resume, you can increase the margin but keep it below two inches. - Edit and proofread.
Before you submit your resume, ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors by proofreading your resume several times. Trusted friends and colleagues can provide great and honest feedback to improve your resume. Also, there are several programs and tools available to use. - Ensure a unique resume is not needed for the job.
Your resume is your first impression before interviewing for the job. It is imperative that any unique requirements are listed. If a different type of resume is needed, it is best to have different versions completed and ready to be edited if needed.