Crafting an excellent resume is not an easy job. It takes a lot of attention to detail, planning, organization, and focus to do it right. And it is a crucial step in finding a dream job because it is the first impression you make on the recruiter. As they might spend less than a minute on a resume, you need to make yours stand out.
But do not worry, you can do it. If you ever wandered around a resume writing service wanting to ask a professional resume builder service for advice, you’ll be glad to know that we can help you. This article gathered tips from experts in the industry that will help you to advance your resume instantly.
Check Out Job Postings
Before you apply for an interview, search for several postings on similar positions. Look at the demands and duties employers list and what keywords they use. It will help to get a better idea of what is expected from an ideal applicant.
Write down the keywords and frequently used terms from these postings to use them in your application. You can even use online text analysis tools to figure out what words are used more often. And the usage of keywords will help to beat ATS if a company uses it.
Look At Samples
The next step is to look at the samples posted online or resumes for such positions or this industry. Look at what the job market expects of employees and how they go about their skills and experience. If you find anything you like – a specific term, formatting tip, or an interesting layout idea – you can use it in your document.
The overall rule of thumb is to make your resume short (usually, one-page maximum), simple to read, and number-oriented.
Focus on Achievements
When talking about your work experience, always highlight the achievements. It is even better if it can be sized with data or numbers. For example, “increased sales revenue by 15% last year” will work out better than “worked in sales for 7 years”.
Employers love achievements that can be measured and presented in such a way. And it also makes you look more active in your work.
Include Only Relevant Information
A resume is not a CV. There is no need to list every workshop or job you’ve ever had. Focus on the most essential things and put the strongest points first. If you have an extensive work history, concentrate on the last 10-15 years. Use reverse chronological order – put the most recent experience first so that a recruiter won’t miss it while skimming through the document.
Experience First
In almost any case, work experience is more relevant for an employer than your education. After all, not everyone is employed according to their college diploma or specific training. That’s why it is better to put experience before education.
Another tip is to just list your certificates and diplomas without dates – they are not helpful. If a company wants to hire someone with a Computer Science degree, they probably do not care when exactly you have graduated.
Take Care of Formatting
The formatting is important! Not only does it show professionalism but also makes it easier for recruiters to find what they are looking for. Here are the main things to consider:
- Use clear fonts, like Arial or Times New Roman. Do not use Comic Sans.
- The font size should be 10-12.
- Keep 1-inch margins.
- Do not leave too much blank white space.
- Use simple heading for sections, e.g. Skills, Experience, Education.
- Select appropriate colors or do not include them at all.
- Do not include a photo if it is not relevant to the industry.
- Avoid using “I” and “me” too much.
- Save the resume in PDF so that the formatting stays stable.
- Title the file with your name – “John Smith resume”.
- Put the strongest sections first.
The best idea for many individuals is to keep reverse chronological order in all sections. So, if the recruiter doesn’t read everything, they will still get the most important information.
Use Active Words
There are power verbs that highlight essential career steps and achievements, such as completed, achieved, and accomplished. They always look better than the words that just state that you did something.
It helps to keep sentences short, yet powerful. For example, you can write “led international development projects”, “completed a 9-month project in 7 months” or “increased conversion rates by 30% in two months after having been appointed to the position”.
Avoid Fluff
In any career field, some abstract terms and words are so widely used that they look like fluff in an application. Those are “team player”, “professional”, “results-driven”, or “go-to person”. They only take the space that is limited enough.
Instead, use something more substantial and important. You can show that you are a team player in your experience section by telling that you’ve worked or managed teams. And you can illustrate the fact that you are result-driven by the actual results of your activity.
List Skills Wisely
You need to list all of your skills, but start with the most unique and important ones for this job. For example, maybe you know HTML, JavaScript, and Python – that’s amazing for hard skills. But do not include something that is expected for all the population to know – like Microsoft Word or Google Docs, for example.
Explain the Gaps
If you have gaps in your work history, it is better to address them right away. If it is a month or two you can just avoid listing months for your occupations. Just put the years in, for example, 2011-2012.
But if you have significant gaps, do not leave the employer to guess. There is no need to go into specific detail, but it would be better to say parenting, family issues, or freelancing instead of just leaving a blank period.
Consider Having Several Resumes
One of the worst things to do is to create a one-fits-all document because, in reality, it probably doesn’t fit any position. Try to tailor several versions for each specific job you aim to apply to. All of them have different requirements and expectations. Change the wording, highlight specific achievements or certifications, and use particular keywords.
In Summary
A great resume is key to getting an interview and landing the job of your dreams. That’s why it takes time and effort to craft it. Do not skip this step and make sure that you present yourself in the best way possible.
Author’s Bio:
David Blue is a dedicated resume writing expert from SkillHub who is excited to share his best practices with you. With over 100 successful projects and 10+ years as a writer, David found a resume to be his favorite one to write. David is happy to share his experience with you.
