We all know how important resumes are, but many people don’t know the tips and tricks to creating an effective one that will get the job done (pun intended!). After sifting through hundreds of resumes and scanning a few articles, here are some of my best basic resume guidelines:
- Introduce yourself. Start with your name and contact information that the top of every page. This
generally includes your phone number, email, and address. You can also include links to your Linkedin
profile, blog, or personal website as long as all of the content is professional.
- Explain yourself. Anyone looking at your resume should be able to understand what your company does. Don’t assume just because it’s a big name that people will know exactly what happens in your division or what your title means. Basic information like the industry and a brief summary of the product or service goes a long way in putting your work into context.
- Keep it simple. Avoid fancy fonts that can be difficult to read and try to keep everything consistent. Keep boldface, italics, and underlining to minimum. These are best used to highlight your name, company names, and/or titles. Word documents are best because they can be easily opened on most computers, avoid tables or templates that may not be. It’s ok if your resume is longer than one page, but try not to let it go over two.
- Be logical. Use reverse chronological order, start with your most recent position at the top and work your way backwards as you move down the page. Be sure to include the dates, start and end, that you held each position.
- Be specific. Using bullet points is a great way to highlight your achievements without being too wordy. Include numbers or percentages where possible as well as action verbs and strong adjectives to make an impact. Illustrate the contributions you have made to the company; anyone reading your resume will want to see how your strengths can be applied to their organization. You want to sell the benefits of your skills.
- Tailor your resume to the job that you are applying for. You may have a wide range of experiences and talents, buy not all of them will be relevant to each position. Edit your resume to include the skills that best pertain to the role.
Remember that the objective of your resume is to get you an interview, where you can really sell yourself!
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