The resume is the first document an employer sees when reviewing an application. It is a tool for marketing yourself to bag a job position. Therefore, you should put a lot of effort into tailoring your resume to appear fit for the position. Here are the top 5 tips tp write a killer resume.
1. Keep your resume short and sweet
Resumes should be just one page for most, and two for some. However, employers prefer to receive one-pagers. Employers receive hundreds of emails. According to a report released by Glassdoor, on average, each corporate job offer attracts 250 resumes. Of those candidates, 4 to 6 will get called for an interview, and only one will get the job—that’s a lot of applications.
An employer doesn’t have the time to analyze each line of your resume. Recruiters skim resumes for an average of 7.4 seconds. Thus, there is only a handful of necessary information you can put in your resume to make it short since a long resume does not really make a lasting impression.
Here are some tips on how you can trim your resume to one page:
- Write concisely. Save space by being straight to the point and avoiding the use of many words.
- Remove obsolete information like the reference of your high school, details of your past work history 10 or 15+ years ago.
- Tailor your resume to the specific job and eliminate work experiences that are irrelevant to the position you are applying for.
2. Add a Personal Profile (Ditch the Objective Statement)
An objective statement is a short declaration that communicates your career intentions like the skill set you want to build for your field of industry for a specific company.
On the other hand, a personal profile is a short but concise statement of your qualifications for the job. It is usually composed of 2-3 sentences (around 200 words) that highlight your experiences, skills, and goals that you want to achieve for a specific position.
This section should be placed on the top part of your resume after your name and contact information. Therefore, a well-written personal profile will catch the attention of the employer and help you secure an interview.
3. Add Numbers That Quantify Accomplishments
Grab the employer’s attention by quantifying (use numbers) your achievements. It proves that you legitimately accomplished something in your work history. Here are some examples of information that effectively quantify your experiences:
- Years of experience in the field
- Cost reduction
- Cost savings
- New clients acquired
- Sales revenue
- Increase in profits
- Increase in page views
- Customer ratings
- Customer satisfaction
- Complaints resolved
- Awards received
4. Write a Tailor Resume for Every Job
Stand out from other applicants by customizing your resume specifically for the job. This will help you focus on the specific needs of an employer to help them solve a problem. So how can you effectively tailor your resume? Here are some tips.
- Analyze the job posting and description
- Incorporate specific keywords, like skills, to match the key terms in the job description
- Use only your job experiences or history that is relevant to the job you are applying for
5. Get Help from a Professional
Writing a resume is a painstaking task for most because you need to make sure that you have covered all of the important information. It should be well-thought and formatted. There are different ways online on how you can ensure that your resume will grab the attention of the employer and get called for an interview.
If you have the budget, you can try to spend some cash on a resume service like TopResume, Monster, Linkedin, or TopCV.
You can also opt to learn how to create and customize your resume for each of your applications by taking online courses, such as Create The Ultimate Resume Package To Stand Out by Skill Success. Not only will you learn how to successfully construct your resume, but you will also learn how to write a cover letter, design your business card, package your documents, and prepare for the interview.
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