It’s a new year and now is the time to take a look at your resume and re-evaluate whether it is up to par and able to compete with other resumes. Here are some tips on incorporating the best practices that have come to be expected on resumes today.
Presentation
This is your first impression to the hiring manager. Keep in mind the following:
- Your resume should be neat, presentable and have a fair amount of white space.
- Font sizes 10-12 are usually the best for readability.
- Good fonts to use are Arial, Times New Roman, Tahoma and Calibri.
- Paper resumes are best on white, cream or light grey paper.
- When emailing a resume, make sure your formatting stays. Try emailing your resume to yourself to make sure. Alternatively, you can send your resume as a .pdf file.
- Only attach one file in your email that includes your cover letter and resume.
Update your Content
Do you need an objective statement?
There are a lot of opinions on this question. Yet, when it is all said and done, the objective statement takes up valuable real estate on your resume. Hiring companies want to know how you will benefit their organization, so unless your objective statement is outstanding, skip it and start by highlighting your accomplishments that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
Is your resume role specific?
Carol Robinson, a Principal of Harbour West Consulting Inc. suggests tailoring your resume so that it is role specific. She says, “Use the job description as a tool to for building your resume –showcase your accomplishments so that they reflect and/or compliment the requirements of the position you are applying for.”
If you take key words from the job description and use them in your resume and cover letter, applicant tracking systems will find your resume more readily. And also you will make the hiring manager’s life much easier when comparing your qualifications to those outlined in the job description.
Style - chronological or functional?
Most resumes today are a combination of both chronological and functional. “Organize your information consistently and coherently; i.e., provide clear dates and timelines for each role and watch tenses,” Carol says. “Also acknowledge any career gaps – it is perfectly reasonable to take time for a sabbatical or family, but don’t ignore or hide this on your resume. Being upfront will allow for a more comfortable conversation (with regards to career history) as the recruitment process progresses. “
Accuracy
Make sure your resume is well written, free from typographical errors, misspellings and grammatical mistakes. Proofread your resume, take a break and then proofread again. It is also a good idea to have others proofread it with fresh eyes for you.
A visually appealing and error free resume will not only impress hiring managers, but also not hinder you in your job search. Your resume is an example of the type of work you produce. Make sure to start off with a good impression.
Dana Sebal - A writer with a broad range of knowlege who writes articles that are informative and fun to read.
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