Hiring managers and recruiters read more resumes every day than we will ever write in our careers. The stakes are high and so is the competition, so make yours count. Here are six secrets to creating a killer resume that is designed to impress.
1. Keep it simple. You don’t want your resume to be any more than one to two pages. The average resume gets read in 10 seconds, so be sure your content is on a level that any high schooler could understand in a flash.
2. Skip the personal. Personal information, such as marriage and children, is a surefire way to show you’re a stable, hard worker, but it could backfire if they need someone to travel.
3. Show don’t tell. Stories sell. Stats and percentages get attention, so bold them. If you were raised on a farm, put it down.
4. Avoid crazy typeface. You want your resume to be legible, so stick to Arial or Cambria, or Calibri. Times New Roman might be too generic, so switch it up with a typeface that best fits your field of work and personality – just keep it looking clean.
5. Quantify your accomplishments. Don’t make the mistake of being too general in your claims of accomplishments. Instead, give specific examples of what you are most proud of. List them out – your skills, strengths, and possibly awards you have earned.
6. Cater to the industry. Not every field is the same, so not every manager will have the same interests. A mechanical engineer is very different from a financial analyst, so tailor your resume to be the perfect fit for the job listing.
Looking for more guidance in your job hunt? Debra Solomon, autism life and career coach helps young adults with autism and other learning disabilities identify their strengths and weaknesses to help find a job that best fits them! For more information about Debra Solomon’s coaching practice, visit her on the web.