Having a top-notch resume is essential if you want to streamline your job search. When your application is high-quality, it increases the odds that you’ll impress the hiring manager. In turn, you’ll potentially get an interview faster, allowing you to find a new opportunity as quickly as possible.
The issue is that knowing what your resume needs to look like isn’t always easy if you don’t study the trends. If you’re wondering what today’s hiring managers prefer and how you can make sure your resume doesn’t miss the mark, here are some resumes tips you can use to get ready for your job search.
Brevity Is Your Friend
First, it’s important to remember that brevity is your friend when it comes to resumes. You want every word on the page to add value. Otherwise, the hiring manager won’t get the details they need as quickly as possible, and that may lead them to pass you by.
Barring executive-level resumes and certain CVs, your resume should be two pages long at most. If you want to stay under the limit, focus on creating short, punchy broken sentences. Use numbers instead of writing out the words for numerals, and avoid extraneous prose.
Additionally, make sure every achievement you share is relevant to that specific job opportunity. If it isn’t, cut it.
Target the Content
As mentioned above, every accomplishment you include on your resume should relate to that individual job opportunity. However, you also want to go further when it comes to targeting the content to an employer.
Update your professional summary to include keywords that relate to the position. Additionally, update your skills list to highlight capabilities that hiring manager needs to find, putting ones they’ll view as priorities at the beginning of the list.
This shows not only are you a top performer in your field, but you’re also a match for this specific job. That can dramatically increase your odds of getting called in for an interview, as the hiring manager can clearly see how your experience connects to the role.
Don’t Overlook the Basics
When push comes to shove, solid spelling and grammar are always essential. Hiring managers will question your professionalism and attention to detail if your resume has mistakes. Since that’s the case, you want to review the document carefully for errors. Additionally, consider asking a trusted family member or friend to take a look, too.
Skip Fancy Formatting
While a multi-column resume with color-coded sections and various other design elements may look good, it may actually hurt your odds of getting past an automated screening solution, like those used by an applicant tracking system (ATS). While ATSs are growing more capable, they still struggle to make sense of certain formatting choices, like the flow of information through columns or tables. Additionally, they can’t pull data out of images.
Since that’s the case, it can be best to keep your resume design classic. By using traditional formatting and headers, the ATS will have an easier time scanning your resume for keywords, increasing the odds it’ll view you as a match and forward your application to the hiring manager.
Ultimately, all of the tips above can help you ensure your resume is in good shape. If you’d like to learn more, TempStaff can help. Contact us today.
