Looking for a job? When was the last time you revised your resume? Take a look and see if you are making your resume look out of date - and some tips to bring it into the future.
A good resume is key for every new jobseeker. You might not like to think it, but creating a good resume can be make or break in todays competitive job market.
Your resume is the first impression to capture a hiring manager’s attention. Getting this right will help you stand out and ensure you get noticed by any technology that screens the resume before it even gets to the hiring manager to review.
Also remember to put yourself in the hiring managers shoes.
Putting a landline number and not a mobile number on a resume will often mean you won’t get a call.
Ensure you include a sensible email address that is professional
Ensure you add your address or location
Ensure that your resume is formatted correctly. If you can’t present your resume correctly then you won’t be trusted to create documents in your new role.
Turning your resume into your life’s work
Most people are going to scan your resume so ensure that you keep things concise and everything on the page is of value. Don’t add paragraphs about a role you worked at 10 years ago. Focus on the key areas of what you offer the new hirer now.
Tailor your resume to the job description you are applying for to ensure you solve the problem they are hiring for.
Try and limit your resume format to one page if possible.
Sell what you can do now, not what you did in the past
Your resume is about selling and marketing yourself. A career overview outlining your experience, talents, and accomplishments must tie in with how you are going to deliver value for the company and the role.
Don’t make the hirer do the work
We all know that time is precious so any time that you can save them will not only impress them but also put you to the front of the line for interview. If you have references don’t hold them back. Add them as this builds trust with a hiring manager, saves them time and also shows you have nothing to hide.
Stay up to date and include your social profiles
In many companies, social media has become an important tool in evaluating new candidates. Make sure you include key social profile links and ensure they have been updated to show you are professional. If you haven’t posted content in a while then try and think what your future employer might want to see.
Seeing you have tweeted in 3 years does not make you look like you are proactive and can make you look a little out of touch.
Conclusion - Become a good fit
A good resume is the starting point but most important is making sure that anything on your resume brings value and highlight what you can bring to the table. One of the key areas employers are looking for items that highlight you out as good from the bad is being able to communicate and having good soft skills. Remember you are going to be a member of a team so they need to feel like they can work with you on a day to day basis.