Resume Writing Tips

Your resume is usually the first opportunity you have to make an impression on your prospective employer, so make it a good one. Following these simple tips will ensure that your resume will standout amidst the slush pile and land you that interview.

Tailor your resume
Although sending the same resume to every prospective employer is expedient, it reduces your chances of standing out. Instead, craft your resume to meet the specific needs of each business you are applying to. If the job listing says they’re searching for an accountant with at least three years of experience and you meet those criteria, mention that. This is also important as many firms now use digital databases to search for candidates, utilizing specific keywords in their queries. For example, someone in HR may do a search using the phrase “accountant three years experience.” If your resume does not include those specific keywords, they won’t even know you exist.

Define your resume
The purpose of a resume is to catch your prospective employer’s eye, to make you standout as an individual amongst the masses. To accomplish this, be specific. Use exact titles, figures, dates, locations. “Manager” is a general term that doesn’t convey much information; “Operations Manager for Entire Tri-State Area” is better. Another method of standing out is to not simply list your skills, but to explain their benefits. “Customer service experience” doesn’t say much; “Achieved three 100% mystery shoppers through excellent customer service” emphasizes your skill by quantifying it. You want your future boss to know exactly how good of an employee you are and the best way to do that is to tell them, exactly.

Prune your resume
Your resume is not supposed to be a thorough history of your work experience, but a brief document highlighting why you are the man or woman for the job. Include only the information most likely to grab your boss’s attention, like similar positions you’ve previously held. (If your working background is limited, don’t worry; incorporate relevant school, volunteer, or internship experience to compensate.) All in all, your resume should be no longer than two pages, so make every word on there count.

Organize your resume
If your resume is a mess, it won’t be afforded a second glance. Make sure the font is black, legible and no smaller than 11. Format the information so that everything is instantly accessible. Group education, work experience, and skills separately with clear headers denoting each. Bullet point items and be sure to prioritize them. Although work experience can be organized chronologically, it may make sense to place list your old position as a manager before your current one as a waitress.

Proofread your resume
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it would be a shame if after spending hours crafting the perfect resume, a silly typo blows your shot at an interview. Employers expect professionalism and a misspelled word makes you look amateurish. Reread your resume multiple times, read it out loud, get a perceptive friend to review it — anything to ensure that your resume is as polished as possible.

Those simple tips should help you increase your chances of getting an interview and ultimately securing that dream job. Remember to update your resume regularly because you never know when a new prospect may emerge. Opportunity should never be out of reach!


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