Five Simple (But Important!) Resume Tips

August 28, 2018

1. Absolutely No Spelling or Grammar Errors

Most recruiters and hiring managers will discount your resume the second they see a mistake. It is extremely important for your resume to be perfect in terms of spelling and grammar. Make sure you triple check it and then have a few friends or family members read over it.

2. Watch Your Tenses and Personal Pronouns

As a general rule, remember if a role on your resume was in the past, use the past tense (i.e.: organized, delivered, managed). If you are still actively in the role, use the present tense (i.e.: organizes, delivers, manages).

Do not use “I”, “me,” or “my” anywhere on your resume. Instead of saying, “I organized a program which…” say “organized a program which…”

3. Have Multiple Resumes

First of all, you should update and change your resume for each job you apply to so it fits the job description. Yes, that sounds annoying, but it will pay off! Ideally, it would be best to have a resume template and then correlate your skills and past job responsibilities with the qualifications of each job you apply to.

You should also have different forms of your resume. When applying to a job online, it is best to submit your resume as a Microsoft Word document. It is important to know many organizations use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to receive and review resumes. Some of these systems have a difficult time reading PDFs. Unfortunately, your PDF resume may not make it through the ATS screening and on to the next step. In contrast, when submitting your resume via email, it is best to send it as a PDF. Sending as a PDF ensures the style, font, and size will look the same to the person receiving your resume.

4. Organization

Think of your resume as a paper elevator pitch. Chances are the person reading your resume will spend less than 30 seconds looking it over. It is crucial to keep your resume aesthetically pleasing. Help the hiring manager find the information they are looking for by using proper organization. This piece of paper does not tell your whole story, it simply shows your highlights. Make sure each sentence is carefully thought out and will help increase your chances of getting an interview.

5. Quantify Your Results

Instead of telling how you made a difference in the company, prove it. Provide specific numbers and percentages anytime you are able to. After updating your resume with percentages and numbers, make sure you update your LinkedIn and other profiles so they match.

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