Unemployed? 9 Resume Tips & Tricks
This is the third article in a series of articles on being unemployed. Check out the other series articles on: How to tackle the job search and the 8 books you should be reading now. There are thousands of articles on the web and hundreds of websites that will tell you the rules about resume writing. Who do you believe to be the expert then? Well, in my view, they likely are all valid opinions and suggestions, some of which may work for some individuals and not others, or would maybe appealing to some hiring managers that review them, but not others. Just consider… you may send out 10 different resumes to 10 different companies. One thing is for certain: each hiring manager will have their own priorities about what’s important and their own rule book about what they want to see…. “Uniqueness of expectations” is the only certainty when applying for a job. My suggestion for you? Go ahead and look at some of the articles and websites, see what you find that speaks to you and go with those suggestions. You may come up with a killer layout that works for you, or wording that enhances your resume with more clarity and focus. Implement what you like….and then… pay attention to the results. If you’re not getting the results you want, change up your strategy and try something else. Make sense? What now? Start here, with my tips and tricks for great resume writing: 1. Use common sense above all else. You have to be happy with the final outcome. It should show your personality and yet fit with the industry you’re wanting to work in. It if doesn’t feel right, change it. If your confidence is wavering, change it. If you’re excited about it and can’t wait to show it to someone, go with it. 2. 3 minutes. That’s all the time you have to make an impression and get the yes or no, in terms of an interview. Use that time wisely. This means the first page of your resume needs to highlight who you are and what you offer… quickly and concisely. Like an Executive Summary of a report. Highlight why they need to read on… and hire you. 3. Individualize the resume for the job. That’s right; you don’t have one master resume that can fit all needs and all jobs. Start with a master but customize it based on each job posting that you’re applying for. Use similar language to the job posting and address specifically what they’re asking for. Highlight areas where you meet or exceed requirements and consider minimizing experience that isn’t relevant. Imagine the hiring manager is playing a matching game between your resume and the posting… how many matches can you get, knowing the more there are, the better? Clarity and ease of reading are so important. Assume that the first reviewer of your resume may not actually be the hiring manager, so you need to be crystal clear in your descriptions in order to have the right messages portrayed. Make it easy for them to say yes. Get help with this if you’re not the best writer. 4. Size doesn’t matter. If you have lots of experience, don’t shortchange yourself in order to keep it to 2 pages. The reader wants to know the breadth and depth of your capabilities. Be succinct with your explanations though. 5. Use metrics. Articulation of your performance goals with metrics shows the reader the value you bring to the organization. How much did you increase X? % of Y in a year. Etc. 6. Ease of reading. Use a 12 point Arial font and lots of white space. Consider that your hiring manager may be looking at many resumes and with tired eyes, will easily bypass one that’s hard to read. Bold and/or underline headings. Manage page breaks to allow sections or paragraphs to stay together. Save in pdf format so that the reader sees it exactly the way you intend them to. 7. Consistency. Past tense for past jobs, present tense for current jobs. Same font. Same layout. Same active or passive voice. Chronological order. 8. Review it. Find a few people that you trust and respect to review your master resume and give you feedback. They may find grammatical errors, give you great suggestions (you may or may not agree with) or simply do not understand what you’ve written out. Take their constructive feedback and then decide how and if to implement it. Remember… it’s all just someone’s opinion and you get to decide which ones to agree with. 9. Don’t give up and get sloppy. Take more than enough time with each application process, appreciating that this could be the last one you ever need to apply to. This isn’t an exercise in volume, where more applications submitted in a day is better. Quality over quantity every time. Lastly, it’s time for you to Take charge of your career. You are in control over your destiny. Plan for it. Put your mind to it. Strategize. And set yourself up for success on your own terms. Not sure how to do this? Looking for some guidance? Email me and we can set up a time to talk about it. That’s right, I’m offering you a FREE SESSION where we can work on your career plans and break through any barriers you may be facing. Don’t wait. You’ve got everything to lose and even more to gain. Email me at je@judithethier.com and mention this article.
