Let’s go through a few dos and don’ts on how to write a resume. Most individuals are not trained on how to write a resume for today’s competitive job market. A professional resume writer can help if you want to make this important investment in your career.
Most people have some form of a resume. Unfortunately, most individuals do not know how to write a resume that fits how candidates are screened through the applicant tracking system most companies use. Furthermore, most people don’t realize that a recruiter spends on average 10 seconds glancing at your resume. That’s all, ten seconds to make a great first impression.
Do Include A Career Profile When You Write A Resume
If you only have ten seconds to make your case as to why you are the best candidate, a summary of your career is essential. If the recruiter is impressed by your brief summary, you have a good shot. The biggest challenge is summarizing five, ten or maybe fifteen years of work experience into a short paragraph. It’s not that easy, is it? There’s so much you have done; how do you figure that out. First and foremost, consider the job you are applying for. What is important to the hiring manager? In a nutshell, there’s your answer. You focus primarily on the accomplishments and skills critical to being successful in the roles you are applying for.
Don’t Include Your Life Story
That brings me to my second point. No longer is it wise to throw it all out there and hope something sticks. Don’t include anything and everything that comes to mind. You want to be focused and relevant. Remember, you have ten seconds on average. If you have 10 years experience under your belt, including a summer internship or how you worked while in high school, although admirable, is no longer as relevant.
Do Optimize Your Resume Based on ATS
Do your homework as you would with anything as important as your career and next role. Write your resume to optimize how well you rank with the applicant tracking system that approximately 80% of companies are using today. That means strategically placing key words and key content relevant to the role. It also means not including irrelevant information that detracts from your current skill set.
Don’t Forget to Proofread Your Resume
As head of human resources and recruitment, I can’t tell you how many typos or grammatically errors I have seen on a majority of the resumes that came across my desk. One of the main problems is you spend so much time writing your resume, you are too close to it. That prevents you from catching the mistakes. Seek the help of a trusted friend or colleague. Pick someone that has strong writing skills and attention to detail to help.
If this seems like a daunting task, hire a professional resume writer. A resume is the most important marketing tool you have. Think about how candidates are screened today. Furthermore, consider whether you can create a compelling story that grabs the hiring managers’ attention. Following these important do’s and don’ts will help point you in the right direction for your dream job.