Whenever I begin working with a client, the first thing they want to talk about it their resume. Why? Probably because it’s way easier to work on editing a document than start networking for sure! And, certainly because it is the most tangible part of our job search. Working on a resume, and sending it out feels good. It feels like we are taking action.
Here are some thoughts on what makes a good resume:
- Make sure before you begin that you know what role you are aiming for and what skills and traitsyou can bring to that role.
- Your resume is like a billboard – it’s a brief, eye-catching message that makes the recruiter want to learn more about you.
- Instead of reading like a job posting, with every single task you were responsible included, think of your resume as a “brag sheet.” It should focus on highlights and accomplishments, and wherever possible include quantitative results.
- The same resume is not appropriate for every job. Be sure to review your resume with each application. Does it include thesame key words and action verbsthat are in the job posting? If not, swap out what you’ve got for what’s in the job posting to increase the chances that applicant tracking software will recognize your skills.
- If you are looking at several related roles, you’ll want to build a “master” resumethat you can tweak as needed, adding and removing bullets as they are relevant to the specific job posting.
- One page or two? It depends. Best practice now is that you go back no more than 10 years of work history, unless a significant role is relevant to the job you want. If it goes onto two, and your experiences are relevant – as opposed to a mere chronology, a two-page resume is fine.
See below for some specifics on applicant tracking systems, formats and more!
Great stuff from Fast Company on how to beat the bots designed to screen your resume out of consideration…
Your resume should have an F or E format for readability. Find out more on format from Money.
LOTS more good stuff on resumes from the geniuses at The Muse.
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