With what seems like the worst of the pandemic behind us, it might be time to start sprucing up your resume if you either suffered a job loss or are ready to jump into a new career. The resume helps tell your story of why you’ll be a good fit for your next position. It’s a place that you can showcase your experience and start to sell a potential employer on your expertise. While there are lots of resume tips out there, here are a few timeless ones that are sure to set you up for success.
Be Professional
Rule one is to be professional. Make sure you have a professional email address and not one that’s associated with your personal interests (ie. golfdude4ever@mailprovider.com). You can, of course, keep your fun email address but leave it for non-business dealings.
Keep It Simple
A concise and simple resume is preferred. Potential employers are seeing lots of resumes come in and trying to wade through a bunch of information is challenging. State your previous experience, the dates of employment, and a few key points that you were responsible for or accomplished in each position. Also, keep the layout clean and simple. Don’t try to stand out from the crowd with strange fonts or unique designs as that only makes digesting your information more challenging to the hiring manager.
Don’t Lie
It should go without saying when talking about resume tips, but be honest. Don’t lie about where you worked, what position you held, how long you were there, or what your responsibilities were. Hiring managers will likely find out your deceit or you’ll get yourself into a position you actually aren’t qualified for and neither scenario will end well.
Proof It
Make sure your resume is error-free. Proof it once. Send it to someone else to proof, then proof it again. A typo on a resume can be an automatic no for some hiring managers.
Address Gaps
If you have gaps in employment, be sure to address those either right in the resume or during an interview. Be prepared to talk about why the gap exists because it’s almost certain your interviewer will ask about it.
Be Relevant
If you’ve held several positions over your career, you’ll want to remove those initial ones from your resume unless they are extremely relevant. It’s not likely that your summer as a camp counselor in college will add much to your resume if you’re applying to be a property manager – especially if it was more than a decade ago. Make sure your experience is fresh and relevant to the job you’re applying for.
While there are lots of resume tips you might come across, these tried-and-true ones are always good to keep in mind when you’re seeking new employment. If you’re in the market for a new job, contact us to let us help!