Quick Resume Check – Three Critical Things

Hi Friends,

Do you know if your resume is doing its job for you? Unless you know what to look for, it can be hard to know for certain. And, there is a lot of conflicting information out there that makes the whole question even more confusing.

There are, however, a few things that you can be sure about. So, pull out your resume, review this list, and do a little self-check right now:

Does your resume have a Summary right up top?
It should. Craft 2 to 3 lines that highlight your skills and what you offer prospective employers. If you’ve still got an objective, lose it. An objective is all about you and what you want, while a good summary will tell an employer how you can meet their needs.

Have you focused on measurable achievements, rather than rote duties?
Many people make the mistake of simply including bullets from their job description under each role they’ve held. Don’t. Instead, note the impact that you’ve had, and make it quantifiable whenever possible, e.g., “Developed and implemented new procedures for client support that resulted in a 20% increase in upsales.”

Are you tweaking your resume to include keywords related to the job posting for each role?
If you are using the same generic resume for each job application, you are missing a great opportunity to stand out. More importantly, your resume likely won’t make it through the applicant tracking software that looks for the keywords.

Those are three things that are critical to your job search success. Without focusing on those, you could easily be wasting your time. If you have any questions or need some more support, let me know.

Cheers to your career!

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Find out how with 10 Habits of Successful Job Candidates!