Searching for a new job brings about feelings of anxiety for some people since it means an interview is in the near future. Some people are amazing at interviewing, while others seem to fall flat. If you are the latter, have no fear – not all hope is lost. Professional resume writers aren’t the only ones who agree that it’s not all about the interview, but also the resume.
Whether you’re looking for a brand new job or trying to climb the corporate ladder within the same company, having a solid resume is of the utmost importance. Your resume needs to depict all of your strongest traits, successes, and experience, all within the confines of one 8 ½ by 11” sheet of paper.
Before you can even land an interview, an employer will go through a huge stack of resumes to narrow down the top contenders. If yours doesn’t make the cut, you won’t even get the chance to go through that dreaded interview process. For this reason, resume writing needs to be the focus during any job hunt. These tips from pro resume writers will guide you in the right direction.
Check out sample resumes
If you’re writing your resume on your own without the help of a professional, you can find guidance by browsing sample resumes. These can be found all over the internet, but just be sure to find samples that are specific to your industry. In other words, you shouldn’t be using the same formatting for a human resources resume as you would for a finance professional.
Include only relevant information
In other words, try not to be too wordy. This can be difficult since you only have a small amount of space to demonstrate your worth, but do your best to be concise. Only include information that you find pertinent to the job listing, information that the employer will find valuable. When writing about previous work experience, use short bullet points. Never write in long bulky paragraphs.
Apply the job posting to resume content
This is something that will stand out to a potential employer. If you use specific words from the job posting and incorporate those words within your resume, it will look as if you are the perfect candidate (which you probably are!). This should be done for every job you apply for since it is a proven tactic leading to the next step – the interview.
Use a powerful, active tone throughout your resume
Your resume needs to come off powerful. This can be done by using active words and ones that elicit power, such as achieve, completed, and accomplished. Power language is something that stands out and puts you ahead of the game. Keeping things short and sweet is another example of a “powerful” resume, rather than one that tiptoes around the subject.
Always get a second opinion
Even if you have proofread your resume 18,000 times, it is a good idea to have a second pair of eyes look over it. It is common to miss mistakes when reading your own content, and a resume with mistakes will likely be tossed to the side. Even if you don’t hire a pro, have a friend skim over everything.
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