How to Craft a Killer Resume
A resume is your ticket into your desired job. With so much relying on this essential document, you can’t waste time crafting ineffective work. Instead, try our top six resume tips and churn out a job-winning creation.
Six Tips for Resume Creation
1. Avoid Fancy Fonts, Colors, and Templates
Using fancy fonts and colors distracts potential employers and makes your work stand out—in a bad way. You want your experience to catch a hiring manager’s eye, not bold splashes of yellow surrounding the paragraph borders or loopy cursive text. Stick with Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial font—and leave out the colorful graphics.
Additionally, avoid templates. Templates like those found in Microsoft Word are hard to use, and often, content entered into them is difficult for hiring managers to get through. The font may be too small, the colors and shapes distracting, etc.
2. Don’t Use Hackneyed Phrases or Words
A hackneyed phrase or word is an overused expression. Examples of these in resumes are:
· time-oriented
· task-driven
· professional
· hardworking
· ambitious
· self-motivated
· high-achiever
· thought leader
· accomplished
· team player
Hackneyed phrases don’t mean anything. They’re vague, timeworn, and dull. So choose strong, fresh vocabulary to describe yourself instead. For instance, you could describe yourself as a natural leader with excellent communication skills if you applied to a managerial role.
3. Customize Your Resume For Each Employer
Make sure you only include relevant work experience. If you’re applying for a writing job and have plenty of experience, you don’t need to add the retail job you worked in high school. However, if you’re applying for a sales or marketing position, a retail background may be pertinent. What experience you include depends on the individual job position.
4. Keep it Simple and Short
Your resume should have five sections: summary, achievements, experience, skills, and education. The maximum resume length is two pages. If you have additional information you’d like to share, you can include it in your cover letter.
5. Put Your Most Important Information First
People have short attention spans, and they may only scan the last part of your resume. You should put any essential information you want your hiring manager to see at the top.
6. Ask for Help
A fresh set of eyes can help you determine whether you have enough information or too much. Additionally, having more than one pair of eyes on the document ensures you won’t have typos or grammatical errors cluttering up your resume.
Colleges often have employees who assist students with resumes and cover letters. Businesses like Braathe Enterprises review and edit your resume. If you cannot afford help and aren’t attending college, a family member can proofread your work as a last resort. But I advise against not enlisting expert help when possible.
Final Thoughts on Resume Creation
A lot relies on your resume, and you should take drafting one seriously. The Career Service Station can help throughout this process. Book a call with career expert Robert Braathe today and see how we can revamp your resume!
Citations:
https://blog.adeccousa.com/10-tips-to-create-an-effective-resume-and-get-noticed/https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/words-to-avoid-and-include-on-a-resume
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/10-resume-writing-tips
