HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE RESUME
If you are like most people, the thought of creating a resume feels like a daunting task. Many of us are so involved in our jobs that we rarely take time to sit back and think about the details of the work we do. It can be hard to know what skills and experiences to feature and what rules should be followed. Your resume is the most important document you will submit in your job search and an important first step in preparing for interviews. The process of writing your resumes forces you to really think through your work history, understand your accomplishment and think about the things you most enjoyed about your experiences. As daunting as it may seem, by taking the time to really think about it and develop a strategy, you can create a great resume that helps you standout in your job search. Here are some things to think about:
Keep your resume short
The No.1 rule when writing a resume is to keep it short and direct. Hiring managers spend six seconds looking at your resume. With that in mind, try to keep it to two pages or less. An easy way to keep it tight is to only include details on your more recent, relevant experience. While that first job might have taught you a lot, it’s not necessary to include every detail from your entire career history. Highlight the primary objectives and responsibilities for your most recent roles as well as any impressive achievements. When writing your resume, ask yourself, “Will this statement help me get an interview?” Remember, your resume is a marketing tool to sell yourself as the perfect person for the job so only include information that evokes a “yes.”
Keep the Format Clean, Simple and Easy to Read
For each job, make sure you include company name, title, and dates for each entry. Leaving out important information will only leave the employer wondering what you are hiding. With that, if you have been promoted several times with the same company, do not include the responsibilities for each role in detail. Instead, use the space to highlight a record of advancement by just noting the dates you were in each role. If you are a seasoned professional, the general rule is to highlight only the past 20 or so years of experience. The same basic rule applies to education. If you choose to include your graduation year, you should remove this detail once you have accumulated over 20 years of work experience. That way, your accomplishments are highlighted, rather than your age. Don’t be afraid to include continuing education or professional development. Additional course work can also showcase the mind set of a lifelong learner. List company names and titles in bold. Use a basic professional font like Arial or Times New Roman and keep font size between 10 and 12 points. Selecting a clear, easy-to-read font will help make your resume appear more professional. Also, make sure to include your contact information. Name, phone number, physical location and email address should be at the top of your resume. There are many ways to organize the information on your resume but starting with your most recent experience first is still your best bet.
Objective or Value Proposition
To get your reader engaged with you what you have to offer, begin your resume with a powerful and unique statement or value proposition. A value proposition concisely explains what makes you a unique job candidate. It should sum up your skills, strengths, and accomplishments, and how you will add value to a company. The statement should be short and concise and one that is tailored to the job you are applying for. It should tell the employer who you are and what the company can expect to gain by hiring you. Think about the kind of role you really want to have and how you would add value to that specific role. Make a list of your top three biggest selling points. If you are applying to a specific company or role, research your target company and identify a problem or weakness related to the open position. Think about how your hire would help to resolve this issue. Be prepared to discuss this in an interview, as well as adding it to your value proposition. You can also use facts like sales figures or percentages to back up your claims. Pull all this information together, reduce it to one paragraph and you should be good to go. The key is to create a hook that gets your reader engaged and interested in reading the rest of your resume. Some people find this easier to do in a paragraph format vs. a bullet point format. Either is fine.
Avoid the “one size fits all” approach
While having a general resume is a great start, if you are applying for a specific role, customizing to highlight the accomplishments and skills most relevant to the job you are seeking, is a good practice. Employers want to feel special so tweak your resume specifically for them. They expect you to show why you fit the position. One way to help communicate that is to read the job description and list out key phrases. The keywords or phrases will be sprinkled throughout the job listing and in the “qualifications” and “responsibilities” sections. See what words are used most often and make sure you incorporate them into your resume. This will help you get noticed in an applicant tracking system (ATS). Try to avoid borders, hyperlinks, photos and tables that can interfere with an ATS.
Back up your statements
Quantify your statements as much as possible. Anyone can say that he or she was successful in their last job. You need to prove it to the hiring manager. Numbers, percentages and supporting facts go a long way. By what percentage did you exceed your goals? How many people were impacted by your work? By backing up your accomplishments with hard facts, you are providing the hiring manager with a clear track record of success.
Proofread and edit
One of the most common and detrimental mistakes people make, is sending a resume with spelling errors, grammar errors or dates that do not align. Make sure your resume is free and clear of typos. Be sure not to rely on spell check alone. Ask a friend or family member to proofread your resume. One error is enough to get your resume quickly deleted from the pile.
Get Personal
It is helpful to show who you are during the application process. Feel free to include an “Interests” section. Adding details about yourself like hobbies and personal accomplishments sets you apart from the rest of the applicants.
Aesthetic Formatting
The last bit of advice is to make sure your resume looks good graphically. That does not mean it needs a ton of special images but make sure it is crisp and well formatted. Spend the time to bold, underline and differentiate font sizes where appropriate. Ensure the paragraphs align properly form section to section. While it is important to spend the time thinking about the content yourself, having someone with strong formatting skills help you can make your document look great is well worth the investment.
Good luck!
