Staff Source looks at A LOT of resumes every day…some good and some bad. Here is a compilation of some helpful tips to make sure yours is placed in the good pile!
Tip #1 – Use bullet points to improve readability
Nobody likes to search for exactly what you did and where you did it. A simple solution to this problem is to use bullet points under your company/title with your scope of responsibility. Example:
2/2009-12/2012 Company Name Hammond, IN
Customer Service Representative
- Maintain filing system, answer phone calls, data entry
- Process payroll using QuickBooks and managed accounts payable/receivable
- Form strong customer/client relations and communications
Tip #2 – Make sure you account for gaps in employment
If you have major time gaps in between work experiences (more than 1 year) the person interviewing you will ask what you were doing during that time period. If you do not note it on your resume make sure you can explain what you were doing (attending school, etc.). Companies like to see solid work history which means you maintain working at the same company for more than 2 years. It is also a plus to show accomplishments and growth while you were at that company such as promotions, new titles, etc. “Job hoppers” are what we refer to as people who have had 5 or more jobs in 1 year which is not a good sign. It shows us you are not committed or loyal to companies and most companies are looking for employees that want to be there long term.
Tip #3 – List software you are familiar with
It is good to point out certain software you have worked with or have been trained on such as AutoCad, QuickBooks, Photoshop, etc. You can put these within your work experiences or separate it out and put it at the top or bottom of your resume. Just make sure to put it somewhere because many companies will quickly look through resumes and if they are looking for certain software you want them to be able to find it quickly and easily. They can also conduct “keyword searches” through job boards such as Career Builder or Monster for specific software/skills and if it’s not listed on your resume you will not come up in their search.
Tip #4 – Use action words
Using strong action words to describe your experience is important to keep the attention of whoever is reading it. Instead of using “responsible for answering phone” you could use “manage the phone system”. A good tool to help you with this is to see what the synonyms are for the word you were going to use. You also want to be sure to not use the same action words for each experience; try to think of different ones to use throughout your resume. Also be sure to keep the action words consistent as far as present or past tense.
Tip #5 – Review and update quarterly
Many people forget this simple task of keeping your resume UPDATED. It is very important to keep your resume updated with everything you’ve done thus far even if you are currently working and/or not looking for a job. If you have been at a company for 5 years you have probably forgotten what your responsibilities were when you started. You do not want to forget anything you did therefore it’s smart to make a list of things you do so you can easily transfer it to your resume when needed. You should always have your LinkedIn profile updated with your most recent experiences so updating your resume should be easy!
Now that you have the tips to help you create a professional resume be sure to always take a couple with you to an interview! Even if you emailed the company a copy of it before your interview take one with you to be prepared.