Your resume is often the first impression a potential employer will have of you. Aside from your LinkedIn profile, this is where HR reps will get to know you, your qualifications, and your professional aspirations. Listing as many relevant jobs and certifications is key, but there are certain guidelines you should follow to ensure your resume is saying the absolute best about you. Is it time to polish up your resume? Here are ten tips to guide you through a re-write.
10 Tips for a Great Resume
- Clean design – When it comes to resumes, simpler is better. Choose a clean, easy to read design instead of complicated and busy formats. Make sure everything is easily legible at a glance.
- Current information – Keep all your information current, including mailing and email addresses, phone numbers, and LinkedIn profiles. Same goes for your online profiles as it’s very likely that employers will be reviewing those before making their decisions.
- Only relevant information – Don’t try to cram in every single job you’ve ever had from the time you were a teenager and onward. Keep the information relevant to your industry, highlighting qualifying experience.
- Add links to your former employers – It’s helpful to add links to each employer you’ve worked for. This will make background research much easier for your potential employer.
- Keep it simple – Write in clear, simple terms. Industry terms and certifications are great, but the HR representative reviewing it should be able to understand what your jobs have entailed.
- Keep it short – Your resume should be a quick and easy read. Try to keep it to the most essential information, keeping it to one page for less than 5 years of experience and two pages for anything more.
- Customize it – Your resume doesn’t have to encompass every single responsibility you’ve ever held at a job. It should be tailored to the position you’re applying for. Review the description and highlight the projects you’ve taken on that match up with it best.
- List accomplishments – If you have industry awards, accomplishments, memberships, recognitions, and certifications, this is the time to show off.
- Correct spelling & grammar – Nothing is more unprofessional than misspellings and improper grammar. Keep a keen eye on your words and take a second look to be absolutely sure. Use a spelling checker whenever possible but also read for context, as many words may slip through inadvertently.
- Ask a friend to proofread – Always have a second (or even third!) set of eyes review your document before submitting it. Make sure your friend can gauge your presence based on your resume alone – have them pretend to be on the hiring side and ask them if they’d give you the job based on your skills and achievements alone. Someone else will likely catch anything you may have missed.
