It takes less than eight seconds to review a resume. Recruitment consultants often find resumes flooded with information because most job applicants want to include everything about them on their resumes.
Below are 10 resume tips that you can implement right away to get you noticed.
- Unless you have a unique objective statement, don’t include one. We know your objective is to get an internship or a job.
- Unless your grades are extraordinary, don’t include it. The only thing it does is discount you and lower your chances of being selected over candidates with higher grades.
- Your resume should be saved in a PDF format. If you submit in a Word format, chances are it will be hard to read.
- Use a uniform format throughout your resume and save it as your First and Last Name, not as “resume”.
- Don’t just put your job responsibilities, focus on what you have accomplished and things you can quantify.
- If you worked in retail, don’t put “assisted customers” instead say something like “assisted 60+ customers per day, praised by management for excellent service.” “Increased employee retention rate by 65%” is a stronger statement than “Improved the overall employee experience.”
- Tailor your resume to the job you are applying to, and change key words to match those you see in the job description to assist in AI in searching. Vacancies get thousands of applicants and AI is used to help narrow the search.
- Resumes should always be under a page. As a rule of thumb, you should not exceed one page for every 10 years of experience on your resume. There is a high probability that the recruiter might not even go beyond page one. However, if you absolutely feel that you have additional relevant experience and skills to showcase, then limit it to two pages.
- A resume is to get you an interview, not a job. Think about what content you need to include to get employers interested enough to give you a call.
- Submitting your application to a job portal is not enough. Referrals are a great way to stand out as they help add some weight to your resume. It’s always good to network in order to find a person you know in the company, as they can forward your resume to the hiring manager.
