Writing a resume can be difficult. Your career has gone in many directions, companies require you wear many hats, there are so many things to capture. What do hiring managers and recruiters want to see on your resume? What will grab their attention can feel like a real mystery. The whole process can be overwhelming. What are resume essentials?

Career Summary

If a hiring manager read nothing else in your resume, they will read your career summary. If you do not catch their attention immediately, you will likely be overlooked. One of the first questions I asked my clients is big picture, describe your career in three to four sentences. It poses a real challenge. Most people have difficulty articulating what they do in such a brief and concise way. It is certainly understandable. There are so many things you do day-to-day. In addition, it is quite common to switch careers multiple times.

Having said that, it is vital to have a strong career summary that outlines your major accomplishments, quantifiable results and gives the hiring manager a true sense of impact you will have at their company. It is your elevator pitch or 30 second commercial put to paper. When you read a good book, it’s the introduction that makes you want to know more.

Marketable Skills

Your resume should highlight and give evidence to back up your marketable skills. it is not enough to simply state you are a team player, have strong communication skills and are results oriented. That’s not compelling and it’s so commonplace, it does nothing to differentiate you as a candidate.

Can They Contact You

It seems obvious but it is essential to have the correct contact information at the top of your resume. Job seekers sometimes put the wrong email address on their resume. It’s such a critical error and puts you out of the running immediately.

Relevance

It may be tempting to include everything you have done since you first started working. Unfortunately, this does you a huge disservice considering the way applicants are screened today.  You want to put yourself in the hiring managers shoes when trying to determine what is most important for them to see on your resume. There are positions that you may have held earlier on in your career that are no longer as relevant as more recent roles. Furthermore, it’s essential that you meet a majority of the requirements and truly highlight your major accomplishments that are aligned with the types of positions you are applying for.

Trying to determine what is essential to include on your resume can be quite challenging. Hiring a professional resume writer is typically a sound investment. A savvy resume writer can help you optimize your resume in accordance with how candidates are screened today. They understand resume essentials. In addition, it enables you to achieve a competitive advantage in the job market. Incorporating these resume essential tips will help you set yourself apart from other job seekers. If you are not getting the traction you are looking for in your search, consider these must have resume essentials.