Resume Tips
5 Ways to Strengthen Your Resume
Keep it short and sweet!
We know it can be difficult to summarize all of your experience into one page, but it's important not to overload the reader. For each position held, make sure to share your most relevant job accomplishments. Avoid including repetitive information by making sure that everything on your resume conveys a unique message. For example, if you’ve used the same skill in multiple job positions, be selective when mentioning it.
Minimize Blank Space
Although one or two pages may not seem like a lot of real estate, there is a lot of page space that traditional document formats don’t utilize. Be strategic with your line-spacing, margins, fonts, and indents. Depending on the industry, don’t be afraid to play around with the layout and format; some color or designs can be very captivating.
If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there
A mistake many applicants make is not carefully thinking through what sort of candidates they are. A resume must paint a clear picture of the candidate; who they are, their goals, and the sort of role they can fill. Before writing your resume, define a clear message you want to convey to your audience. Make sure that all information provided is congruent with who you are and creates a clear illustration of what you bring to the table.
Customize!
Most applicants aren’t applying to one specific job position and it’s easy to get lost among a pool of job descriptions. Carefully read through each job description before submitting your resume and make sure that your resume addresses the required responsibilities. Applicants can’t change their work experience, but depending on the job, they can strategically highlight past duties that are most relevant. By emphasizing applicable work responsibilities and activities, an applicant can bolster the likelihood of a match.
Fine Tuning
Submitting a resume is an opportunity to make a good first impression. By investing the time necessary to polish your resume, you demonstrate to recruiters and managers that you are worth consideration and guarantee putting your best foot forward. Avoiding spelling and grammatical errors demonstrates that a candidate is detail oriented and a good communicator. After you proofread, read your resume out loud. Is it free of errors? Lastly, whether it’s a coworker, an old professor, or a friend, find someone who’s writing skills you trust to look over your resume.