Keep this in mind when writing your resume…
Your resume is you on paper. When you aren’t around, your resume is the only thing supporting you for the job. Your resume is your little…
Your resume is you on paper. When you aren’t around, your resume is the only thing supporting you for the job. Your resume is your little assistant that stands in place when you aren’t there directly interacting with the company. For times when you are not speaking with an employee at the firm, writing an email, or interviewing, your resume is there supporting your efforts. That being said, it should be visually appealing and able to sell.
Visually Appealing
When you have an interview you dress appropriately right? There’s a specific dress code you need to follow, or else you will be judged. For information on how to dress for your next interview, check out How to dress for a job interview. The same goes for your resume. Employers expect that your resume will be visually appealing. So, what does it mean for your resume to be visually appealing?
One page — Keep it to one page. Employers don’t have time to read lengthy resumes
Tense — Use past tense for prior experiences and present tense for current experiences
Bold/Italics/Underline — Bold, italicize, and underline to emphasize important elements of your resume. Don’t go crazy and keep it consistent
For more information about resume formatting, check out The Complete Resume Format Guide
Able to sell
Besides being visually appealing, your resume needs to be able to sell. If you are in an interview or you are interacting with a recruiter, it’s critical that you are able to sell yourself. A lot of the time, this is done using an elevator pitch. Your elevator pitch is quick and clear. It concisely describes who you are and what you want. Your resume should do the same! Your resume should describe who you are and why you are fit for the job. But, how do you know if your resume is “able to sell”?
It’s concise — Your bullet points are concise and to the point
It has numbers and data — Your bullet points are quantifiable. You are specific in what you accomplished. For example, which sounds better: (1) Designed weekly reports. (2) Designed weekly enterprise-wide reports that generated 99% compliance with a new system used by 40,000 employees?
It is tailored to the job you are applying for — Your resume needs to relate to the job you are applying for. Read the job description and identify the skills that are critical to the job. Analyze your experiences and highlight those that show that you have the desired skills for the job.
Resume writing is important, but it shouldn’t be complicated. If your resume is visually appealing and able to sell, you’re on the right track. For more information about resume writing, check out 3 Resume Writing Tips to Secure Your Dream Job.