When writing your resume, it’s important to understand who will be reading it. Tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for. Highlight skills and experience that are relevant. Use keywords from the job description throughout your resume. This will make it easy for recruiters to see you have what they are looking for.
Emphasize Accomplishments
Don’t just list your work duties. Focus on quantifiable achievements. How did you save money, earn money, or improve operations? Use facts, data, and specifics whenever possible to showcase your capabilities. Some examples:
- Increased sales by 15% over 6 months by implementing new lead generation strategy.
- Wrote newsletters with 45% higher open rates than the industry average.
- Managed a team of 4 interns and boosted productivity by 28%.
Optimize With Keywords
Use keywords from the job description in your resume. This helps ensure you get past any applicant tracking systems and matched with the right roles. Avoid overusing keywords though – have them flow naturally in your descriptions. Tools like Jobscan can help identify keywords to include.
Customize For Each Application
Never submit the same generic resume to every job. Review each job description and highlight different relevant experience and skills in your resume. Even tweak some wording in your descriptions to better match each role. The extra effort can make a big difference.
Focus On Relevant Experience
Put the most weight on experience related to the job you want. Especially for mid-career professionals, focus more on the last 5-10 years. You don’t need to list every job you’ve ever held – just be sure there are no large gaps unaccounted for.
Tell A Story
Your resume should “tell a story” about you. Organize sections chronologically or by relevance. Start with a resume profile or summary conveying your background, capabilities, accomplishments and objectives. Use your work history descriptions to illustrate the story of your career progression and achievements.
Quantify And Qualify
Include both qualitative and quantitative information:
- Quantify whenever possible. Include metrics and data with concrete numbers related to money earned or saved, people or tasks managed, productivity improvements, sales increases, goals met, etc.
- Qualify with keywords and relevant skills. These connect the dots for the reader on your capabilities. Sprinkle them in naturally in your descriptions.
Format And Design Matter
Format your resume for easy skimming. Use white space, lines and headings to divide sections clearly. Include the most relevant information towards the top third of the page where eye focus is highest. Remove anything outdated or irrelevant. Keep it professional looking yet unique.
Proofread Extensively
Carefully proofread your resume. Check for any spelling, grammar or formatting issues. Read it aloud and have both people and programs double check it. One small error could mean your resume gets tossed aside.
The Right Length
Keep your resume at 1-2 pages in length. More than that is usually too much for recruiters to read through. Only senior executives with long careers may need 3-4 pages. If you have less than 5 years experience, 1 page is best.
Sell Yourself
Think of your resume as a sales and marketing document. It “sells” your capabilities, experience and fit for a specific role. Be confident and proud of your achievements. Don’t undersell or doubt yourself. Push your competitive differences. But never exaggerate or lie on your resume.
Online Presence Matters Too
Your resume isn’t the only thing recruiters look at. Optimize your LinkedIn profile using similar tips. Ensure it aligns with your resume. Maintain a professional social media presence. Search your name online to see what comes up. Build your personal brand consistently online and off.
Track And Update
Treat your resume as a living document requiring ongoing edits. Set reminders to update it every few months. Add new achievements. Tweak wording or emphasis for different applications. Remove old or irrelevant info. Refine it as you gain experience and grow your career.
Get Feedback
Have multiple people critique your resume drafts. Ask trusted contacts in your industry as well as professional resume writers. Seek referrals to anyone who offers resume advice. The more feedback the better to catch issues you may miss yourself.
Checklist Before Submitting Each Application:
- Tailored keywords for each job description
- Quantified achievements and metrics
- Only relevant and recent experience included
- Chronological or relevance-based organization
- Profile/Summary section with objectives
- Consistent online personal brand
- No typos, spelling or grammar errors
- Fact-checked and proofread
- Formatted for easy skimming
- Concise and not too long