Good Resume Tips

Here are some good resume tips to help you succeed in your job search.

Having a Professional Resume is vital to job search success. Every day employers receive and go through hundreds of job applications. Since you only have a limited window of opportunity to make an impact and capture the employer's attention (in a positive way), having the right kind of resume is what will make the difference between whether or not you secure an interview. There are a number of good resume tips that can make the process of writing a resume much easier.

Good Resume Tips for Great Job Search Results

1. Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach - Even though on the surface it is easier and cheaper to just have one resume that you send whenever applying for any job, it greatly reduces your chances of being called to interview since what is important to Company A may not be important to Company B. In addition, reviewing the resume helps you update it and also pick out grammar errors that may have gone unnoticed.
2. Ease of reading - Remember that the employer is pressed for time. Thus, make sure your resume is easy to read and that one does not have to search through it in order to pick out the skills that are relevant for the job you have applied for.
3. First things first - Always list your skills and qualifications in order of priority throughout the resume. You must assume that the employer has time to only read the 'headlines' of each section. Utilize that 'single glance' from them effectively. Major achievements in any section should always be listed first.
4. Show the relevance of your skills - Make sure that you give headings, subheadings and descriptions that clearly link your work experience with the advertised position. Note that even identically named positions in two distinct organizations do not necessarily have the same job description. It is up to you to show how what you have done in the past makes you the person they should go for.
5. Get creative - Impressions are what make or break your application. Use words that demonstrate your knowledge of the organization and your enthusiasm to be part of the team. The language in your resume should not be ordinary or cliché while at the same time retaining a formal tone.
6. List your past D.N.A. - As much as is possible, use statistics to list your achievements and demonstrate your ability to deliver numbers always (D.N.A.) whether the numbers are increased sales, reduced expenses, increased customers, reduced staff turnover etcetera. Numbers are a powerful statement of confidence, an indication of your own attention to detail and often remain etched in the mind of the reader way after they have read them.
7. Solution-oriented - Many times, institutions will barely have the time, space or budget to list everything in the advertisement. However, you can pick out clues on what secondary skills they may be looking for by looking at the keywords in the advert or gathering any information on the institution that is in the public domain. These secondary skills are often a tie breaker where you have applicants almost matched in every other respect.
8. Image is everything - Well, almost. If you are looking at a position of greater responsibility than your current one, you must project yourself as someone that can fit into that position without much of a problem.
9. Independent Proofreading - You must have experienced an instance where you proofread a document several times but still ended up missing out errors. Have someone else read the resume before you send it. Few things are as much a turnoff to an employer as a resume full of grammar and spelling errors.
10. Nothing but the truth - Be careful not to exaggerate your achievements. Everything should be verifiable from a third party if required.

When you understand what employers are looking for in a resume, you can write yours in such a way that you are sought after for an interview.

Hopefully, you have benefitted from these good resume tips.

Go to top of "Good Resume Tips"