5 Resume Tips that Work Every Time
Applying for a new job can be daunting, especially when it comes to showing the company via your resume that you have what it takes to be the right fit for the position.
Developing a strong resume means understanding what the hiring trends of today are and how you can apply that to present yourself professionally to potential employers. An effective resume is all about balance – concise yet detailed, eloquent yet not lengthy. Here are 5 tips based off modern hiring practices to apply when building your resume:
Match the Resume to the Job Description
Job seekers often make the mistake of providing every piece of information about their job history, as well as other factors in their resume that have little to do with the position or their profession, such as irrelevant skillsets or awards.
This common mistake can be avoided by including relevant information (and relevant information only) related to the targeted position. Support your experience with data that demonstrates your on-the-job success in past positions.
If the job description is for a web developer, the employer doesn’t need to know about anything other than the direct qualifications and how they apply to the job. That means you’ll probably want leave off the lifeguard job and camp counselor experience you had years ago.
Keep it Short and Sweet
Employers and hiring agencies looking for new employees aren’t just looking at your resume, they’re usually looking at a stack of them. And not to much surprise, that means they don’t want to read through a 3 page resume. They simply don’t have the time. As difficult as it can be to keep your resume down to one page, keeping your work history to-the-point helps your chances in the long run.
Always Go Chronologically
In other words, your most recent work experience and projects should be at the top followed in descending order and relevance by other work history. This especially applies to the IT technology world where new methods and programs need to be learned throughout your career – so the project you built in the early 2000’s won’t be as pertinent as one from last year. Showcasing those recent successes shows off where you’re at now and what you can bring to the table to benefit the company.
Leave Out the White Lies
Get ready for a flashback to your least favorite elementary school teacher, but honesty is always going to be the best policy. You’re not only hurting yourself and potentially damaging your reputation in the long run, because employers do in fact call references, but in the IT field, they’ll likely test you on all the skills and programs you say you know. Sticking to the truth and sharing your actual strengths will do far more for our career than a lie.
Add an ‘Interests’ Field
In today’s world, more and more employers like it when they can tell the personality of a candidate by looking at their resume. This doesn’t have to always be from the design of the resume itself. Add a section where you can share a little snippet of your personality.
You can be funny, sincere, professional; whatever sounds like you and doesn’t come off as stiff will make your name stick out from the other candidates relying solely on work experience.
Once your resume is ready to go, The Talmadge Group can help find your dream job. Check out our job board to see what positions are available in the world of IT today.
