Your resume is your first and best opportunity to generate the interest of hiring managers and recruiters. Your resume tells the tale of your career path and helps employers identify your fit for their needs. An unpolished resume seldom gets a second glance.
Hiring managers typically scan a resume for 10-30 seconds looking for core skills and qualifications. You need to make every second count. When creating a resume, you can format your document on your own or work with a resume template. Either way, you will want to include the following information:
- Contact information – your full name, address, phone numbers and email address. Any certifications should be listed next to your name. For example; [Your Name], MBA or [Your Name], CPA.
- Employment History – starting with the most recent working back. If you recently graduated college or are a few years out of school, you can also include volunteer work or internships.
- Additional Skills – a list of skills such as software or computer skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Do you have experience putting together presentations using PowerPoint? Add this and other skills that a potential employer would consider an asset.
- Education – typically education is placed at the end of a resume unless you are a recent graduate or as defined by your profession. If your GPA was 3.5 or above, include that information also.
Creating Your Resume Based on Employer Perspective
When crafting your resume, it’s important to consider your creation from the viewpoint of prospective employers. A resume that is difficult to read, confusing or riddled with typographical errors will typically be eliminated from consideration. For an effective resume, consider the following suggestions:
- Keep it simple – it is best to keep your document clear and focused. More experienced professionals can utilize a two page resume while more junior candidates should stay to one page. If your resume is too long, consider eliminating information less relevant to the position. Review your document to ensure your language is concise.
- Use a Standard Font – some fonts can make your resume difficult to read quickly. Standard Fonts are preferable. Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, and Georgia are believed to be the better options. Use a 10-12-point font to enhance readability.
- Use Bullet Points – you don’t need to document your history in complete paragraphs, bullet points are easier for hiring managers to read, and use fewer words.
- Focus on Recent Employers – provide more information involving recent employment, and less from jobs held earlier in your career. Employers are more interested in recent achievements. Your resume should reflect the past 10-15 years.
- Include Keywords in Your Resume – online applications and resumes are typically sorted through software that scan for relevant work experience, skills, and keywords, making qualified candidates easy to identify. Including keywords from the job description could help your resume gain attention.
Detailing Your Employment History
Detailing your work experience requires a bit of finesse. It may be impossible to write down everything you have done within the confines of a two-page resume. Only include the details of your past that are relevant to the work you want to do next. Utilize your job descriptions to their fullest potential by focusing on your accomplishments rather than day-to-day tasks. For your work history to shine, consider the following:
- List Each Position Held with the Same Employer
Highlighting positional changes and promotions show if you held several positions for the same employer, list every position. Provide each title under the umbrella of the specific employer with the corresponding dates of each position. Your current position should always be documented in the present tense with previous positions in past tense.
- Focus on Actions Rather than Tasks
Employers are more interested in what you have achieved than the tasks you performed. For example, if your task was to analyze marketing performance, your action might be documented as “Reported ROI of corporate marketing campaigns, improving efficiency by 15 percent.”
- Proof for Consistent Formatting
Take time to verify the consistency of your text format. Scan for details. If you use dashes, the same dash should be used throughout the text; dates should all appear in the same format. If you use a bold font for one employer, use bold font for all.
- Make an Effort to Close Employment Gaps
If possible, fill the gaps in your employment history with other experiences including education, freelance work, or volunteer services. If you freelanced during your employment hiatus, you can fill the gap with “self-employed” where you would otherwise list an employer.
- Document Your Skills
Employers are looking for an indication that you fit the requirements of the job. Skills to include in your resume are most often connected to specific tools, software or knowledge, such as speaking a language. Your skills can be listed in a single paragraph. Each skill should be separated by a comma.
- Include Your Education
List your degrees individually starting with the most recent. List your degree by type and field of study (or certification) followed by the name of the institution, city, and state where you obtained your degree. Include any honors received. If you have multiple degrees, your highest level of education should be listed first. If you did not graduate, list the years you attended, and the number of credits earned.
Providing a well-organized, easy to read resume will convey a professional image, and improve your chances of an interview. When you create your resume from an employer’s perspective, your resume could draw more interest. For opportunities In New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Stamford, CT, Atlantic Group Recruiters is there to help. We specialize in connecting companies with the ideal candidates across a wide range of industries.