Resumes can be a tricky thing. Where do you start? What do you include? How much is too much?
We put together a short list of our top resume tips for new job seekers:
1. Not All Resumes are Created Equal
Based on the position you’re applying for, you’ll need to be selective about what you include and don’t include. You’ll want to highlight skills that are relevant to the job at hand. You may even consider a master list that you can refer back to based on the position you’re applying for. We recommend saving your master list in a word document, so you can easily copy and paste.
2. Ditch the Objective Statement
According to Zhang at the Muse, the only occasion when an objective section makes sense is when you’re making a huge career change and need to explain from the get-go why your experience doesn’t match up with the position you’re applying to. In every other case? Consider whether a summary statement would be right for you—or just nix it altogether to save space and focus on making the rest of your resume stellar.
3. Want to Show More?
If you’re trying to keep your website succinct, but feel like you need to highlight a few more important details, consider including a link to your personal website or blog.
4. Make Sure Your Contact Information Stands Out
Nothing is worse than a great resume ruined by not being able to reach you. At minimum, make sure you have a professional email address (sorry SugarMomma100@gmail.com), and your phone number. A link to your LinkedIn profile is a good move too.
5. Use Keywords
According to the Muse, use keywords in your resume: Scan the job description, see what words are used most often, and make sure you’ve included them in your bullet points. Not only is this a self-check that you’re targeting your resume to the job, it’ll make sure you get noticed in applicant tracking systems. Stuck on which words to include? Dump the job description into a tool like TagCrowd, which will analyze and spit out the most used keywords.
That should give you a solid start on preparing your next resume.
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