Top ten tips for Resumes
1. Correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. Make sure to not only spell check your resume but also to look over it yourself and have someone proofread it, as well. When I was hiring people, I would immediately trash the resumes that had any errors on it and I believe that a lot of employers do the same. It shows that you don’t pay attention to details.
2. Contact information is key. You need to have contact information on your resume. The more, the better! I actually recently had my boss wanting to try to contact someone for an interview and there was no contact info on the resume. You should have your cell phone, home phone & email address on your resume. You don’t want to miss the opportunity for a job.
3. Customize your objective. All resumes should have an objective because it will show your intentions when applying. If you customize it to the job that you are applying for, it will stand out among the stack of resumes and show your extreme interest in the job.
4. Don’t make your resume a book. Length of your resume is very important. Employers generally will skim over a resume and if it is really long, they may miss some key points that are important to your skills that apply to the job. Resumes should be, at the most, 2 pages. Rearrange items and emphasize the important items to bring your resume to the acceptable length.
5. Font & size of the font is important. For the font, use an easily readable one and nothing too funky. The objective is to make your resume look professional. With the font size, you should not use smaller than 10 point. Employers should not have to strain to see your resume or they may not bother with it.
6. Emphasize education if it applies to the job. If you have the degree, certificate or education that is required for the job you are applying for, put that info at the top of your resume. It will make it stand out and not make the employer search for that information.
7. Formatting & feel of your resume is essential. You don’t want an over cluttered resume. Remember, white space is a good thing. You want the pertinent information to the specific job to be easy to find.
There are three common formats that you can use:
Chronological, Functional and Combination.
Chronological resumes list your professional experience in chronological order, starting with the most recent job first. In this case, your professional background would begin immediately after the introductory objective or summary because your best achievements and skills were demonstrated through a solid work history. This is the best format to use if you have enjoyed relevant and consistent employment with no significant gaps in between jobs. This is also a great format for demonstrating career growth if you have moved up through the ranks with each new job.
Functional resumes focus more on your skills by providing special categories in which to showcase them. A good strategy is to list different job functions of the position you are applying to (ex: Team Leadership, Office Management, Organizational Development, etc.), and write paragraphs or list accomplishments that support your expertise in those areas. By sectioning off and creating more content regarding your best strengths, you can shorten your work history significantly. This is a helpful technique for those who are seeking a career change, or for those who have gaps or inconsistencies in their work history.
Combination resumes combine chronological and functional formats. On some level (no matter how subtle), most resumes end up being a combination format. After the header there will usually be an introductory objective or summary paragraph, followed by a section that advertises specific skills or achievements, which is then followed by a chronological work history.
8. Make sure to have a printed and a web ready resume. Make printed copies of your resume to have for interviews or when you go into a company to see if they are hiring. Just as important, you will need a web-ready resume so you can apply online to jobs. In today’s email based society, it is essential. My recommendation is to have a text-based resume that you can paste directly into the body of an email. It will remove all barriers to getting your resume to the employer. Some employers will not accept attachments or they may not have the right program to open the file you send to them. This way, you can ensure that they get your resume.
9. Don’t give too much information. It is not necessary to put your hobbies on your resume unless they apply directly to the job you are trying to get. Also, make sure to not overload your job descriptions just to fill up space. Give the important facts to reduce the clutter and you can share the less important things later.
10. Always use a cover letter. Cover letters give you the opportunity to show your personality, communication skills and interest in the company. Make sure you tailor it specifically to the company and you know enough about the company goals, needs and values. Highlight your accomplishments that apply to the specific job, why you are a good fit for the job and why you want to work at that company. Just briefly state these items, you don’t want it to be too long.