Getting a resume right is the top priority for all job seekers. Creating that all-important document that will catch a potential employer’s attention and prompt contact is crucial. Today, we will dissect the resume and review what job seekers need in a resume to get noticed.
Whether looking for a new job, changing careers, or rejoining the workforce, you must update your resume. The goal is to get your resume to present the best you can while showcasing your qualifications, experience, and abilities. A resume should also tell a story: the story of your career to date, what you have done, how you have done it, what you have learned, and how you can contribute to an organization.
Both chronological and functional resumes need to include the following resume essentials:
Contact information
You want to make it easy for whoever is reading your resume to be able to contact you. The most important details (name, address, email, and telephone) are at the top. You may be tempted to write in small font to save space, but make it manageable. When giving out a phone number, ensure there is an answering machine or voicemail for that number. A potential employer only wants to spend some time calling you. If you miss a call, they can leave a message to which you can promptly reply. Emails should be professional, such as johnsmith@mail.com. It sounds simple, but some can make the mistake of giving out quirky emails like numerounocubsfan@mail.com.
The objective
Recruiters spend, on average, just six seconds looking at a resume; therefore, you have to grab their attention, as the “objective” is your chance to prevent your resume from ending up in the “discard pile.”
The “objective” should clearly state the position you seek and provide one to two sentences of a professional summary showing how you are the right person for the position. Each position will require a different “objective” crafted specifically for that purpose.
- To obtain a position at [company name] where I can maximize my [top skills and experience for the position].
That’s the basic line of approach. However, this objective has been used countless times, and recruiters have read some variations of this before. This objective still needs to be tweaked to grab the reader’s attention. Here are two examples of attention-grabbing objectives:
- Financial Planner with over fifteen years of experience seeking a managerial position where excellent communication skills and industry knowledge can help increase productivity and meet targets.
- Seeking the position of Personal Assistant, where excellent interpersonal and organizational skills will contribute to the organization’s smooth operations.
These objectives provide the essentials: the position sought and what the candidate can contribute, as opposed to what the candidate wants. Recruiters are looking for someone to fill the position, and creating an objective that speaks to them will get noticed.
Qualifications and Education
For recent graduates, it is best to list your education before experience. This is an asset you want to promote and which employers will review. If it has been a while since you graduated, however, it is best to place education after experience, and dates can be left off if you want to keep your age.
If you are looking for a position requiring certain qualifications, place these at the top before experience. When listing your education and qualifications, always show them in order of importance to the position.
Experience
Firstly, the format for showcasing your employment history should go as follows:
The first line is position, company, location, and dates (in years, not months). Your position or job title is the most important information, so it stands out. The next line includes a quick one to three sentence summary outlining your time with the company and mention of any specific information needed or highlights of it.
Now it’s time to go into your position responsibilities in bullet points. Your points need to both show your most important accomplishments as well as your regular responsibilities. Use direct and concise language and choose high-powered action verbs to convey your duties (budgeted, attained, etc.). You don’t need to use full sentences, but it must still follow standard grammar rules.
If you have held multiple positions at the same company, keep these positions separate. Give each position a separate entry for your resume. Also, suppose you have experience that is irrelevant to the position but still think it’s important to include. In that case, you can list this under “Other Experience” with a brief sentence conveying your position, duties, and dates.
References
To list or not to list, that is the question. The jury is out on listing references on the resume. Here are the options to choose from:
- Leave off references entirely and keep a page with references should the organization request them.
- Create a heading and underneath state “References available upon request” and supply a reference page upon request.
- Include your references on the resume.
Where to go from here
By following these simple tips, you can give yourself the best chance that recruiters and potential employers will read your resume and give you that much-coveted interview. Remember, you need to convey that you are the best “fit” for the job and the organization through your resume — no easy task, but if done well, it will put you miles ahead of all the other candidates.
