Resume writing tips and techniques

 

By Abigail Cronin 

Follow these tips to land a new position:

1. Concise Resume. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t care if your resume is one or two pages, but they do care if it’s concise and easy to read. A more experienced worker could easily fill two pages, which is fine as long as the format is attractive and uncluttered. Choose a font that is professional and utilize bullet points to summarize your job duties and accomplishments. Don’t forget to put your most recent experience at the very top and work backwards so that the resume will show off the skills you have been utilizing most recently. 

2. Highlights vs. Objective. One challenge with the objective is forgetting to change it when applying to a variety of positions. Instead of trying to keep up with ever-changing objectives, use the space at the top of your resume to summarize your qualifications. Highlight a few of your strengths and tell a bit about who you are professionally but not personally.  

3. Balance accomplishments and duties. In addition to job responsibilities, highlight key achievements related to your career. Employers are naturally attracted to high achievers, so give yourself credit for the things you’ve done well. Describe your accomplishments and share some measurable results by reporting numbers when applicable. Don’t forget to bold titles and sometimes dates if you are looking to highlight your title and longevity in a position. 

4. Follow the 10-year rule. While you may have done some amazing things 15 years ago, do yourself a favor and only report the last 10 years at most. Remember, your resume should be a summary, not a novel. Don’t despair – you will be able to showcase your finest achievements prior to 1998 during the interview. 

5. E-mail addresses DO matter. Does your e-mail address start with BeachBum3110 or CouchPotato56? If so, you may want to consider getting a more professional e-mail for your job search. You can immediately sign up for a free e-mail account through providers like Yahoo! and Google. First name and last name usually work, unless you have a common last name, middle names can be included if needed.  

6. You only have one chance. Making that first impression starts with your resume, so once you think it couldn’t get any more perfect, ask a trusted friend or professional to proofread it. A misspelled word or typo is likely to cost you the interview. Recruiters and hiring manager scan hundreds of resumes for a single opening and careless mistakes could put you at the bottom of the stack.