The key to success in landing an interview begins with a well-rounded resume. Whether you’re a student or a seasoned professional, creating a resume can be quite difficult. People drive themselves crazy trying to decide what information to include, what font to use and how to stand out amongst the crowd. Luckily, I’m here to provide you with some tips and tricks on how to create the perfect resume.
1. Keep your Contact Information Clear and Concise
Your header should contain your name, followed by appropriate contact information. Your name is the first thing that hiring managers will notice, so make sure it’s presented however you want to be addressed. In terms of contact information, think about the phone number and email address you want to include, and only list ONE (there is no need for multiple numbers and email address, this tends to look cluttered). Also, make sure the phone number you list has a professional voicemail and has been updated some time since 7th grade.
2. Pick a Format and Stick with it
It is easily noticeable when you switch fonts, alter margins and add periods to some bullet points and not others. Choose a specific format and continue with it throughout your entire resume. Make sure that your margins are equal all around and your font is professional. If you have one header underlined or bolded, check that all headers follow the same pattern.
3. Organize Information Accordingly
If you are applying for a job in finance, ensure that all of your business experiences are on top. This will make it easier for recruiters to notice you and see that you are a viable candidate. Don’t get rid of your other experiences, rather, phrase your work in a way that is more applicable to the job description.
4. Share Outcomes
While it is very impressive that you worked on a marketing campaign for a large brand, it is more impressive to see the outcome of your work. What was the result of the campaign? Who did the campaign target? It is also important to quantify your work and give numbers for comparison. A campaign reaching 100,000 people is much more memorable than a widespread campaign.
5. Use the Correct tense
When referring to a summer internship from last year, mention your work in the past tense. If you are describing your current job, then you should write in the present tense. Make sure that you stay consistent with the tense you use, or else it becomes difficult to understand
6. Eliminate Relevant Classwork
This might just be a personal piece of advice, but I believe including any course on your resume is unnecessary. If you feel passionate about a class you took or a project you worked on, a good place to discuss this is in your cover letter. You can also talk about your classes in an interview. Remember, a resume should not include every single thing about you.
7. Save Multiple Versions
You should have different versions of your resume depending on the type of job you are applying for. Regardless of your major, you should still apply to jobs in various fields as long as you have relatable experiences. Save each copy of your resume that you create — that way you don’t have to waste time editing your resume every time you apply somewhere new.
8. Stick to One Page
Your resume should never extend longer than one page — otherwise, recruiters lose interest and may not read the entire thing. If this means playing around with fonts and sizes, that’s okay – just make sure everything is consistent. You should, however, have a master resume saved that includes all of your experiences and is more than one page to refer back to when applying to certain jobs.
9. Proofread
Before submitting your resume, be sure to read it over a few times. It would be a big letdown if you didn’t receive an interview because of a misspelled company name or missing word. Show your resume to a friend or family member to double check; sometimes our eyes don’t pick up on certain things.
When creating a resume, it can be challenging to decide how to best describe your experiences. If you take these tips into consideration when creating or editing your resume, you should have no problems at all. Good luck!