The primary aim of your resume is to secure an interview so you can sell yourself to a prospective employer.
It provides the first impression of you as a potential candidate and will no doubt be competing with many other resumes so you need to quickly and effectively capture the attention of the reader, show that you have the experience and ability for the role and demonstrate the potential you have to offer the company. So, what are some key tips?
- Analyse job ads: there is plenty of useful information within job ads. Take the time to analyse not just the specific ad you are applying for, but also those from companies offering the same or similar positions. This will help you to identify the applicant profile they are looking for and how the information should be presented.
- Use effective job titles: make sure they grab attention and try to be as descriptive as possible, giving the employer a good idea about the nature of your past work experiences.
- Put the most important information first: this point is valid to both the overall order of your resume and the individual sections. It’s likely that your previous work experience will be the most important part of the resume, so put it first. When you are describing your experiences or skills, list the most relevant ones to this role first.
- Demonstrate your qualities and strengths: don’t just list all of your qualities (e.g. motivated, creative, problem solver), try to connect them with real life and work experiences that demonstrate these qualities in action. Aim to explain how a specific skill can benefit the company and connect it to tangible results.
- Use bullet points: employers or recruiters seldom have the time to read long paragraphs of text. Use bullet points and short sentences to describe your experiences, educational background and professional objectives.
- Where are you going? Including professional goals can help you by giving employers an idea of where you are going, and how you want to arrive there. This allows them to imagine how you could fit into their team and culture longer term.
- Two or three pages: although there is no ideal length for a resume, most employers and recruiting specialists say that it should be no more than one or two pages maximum. Provided all the necessary information is there, the shorter your resume the better. Remember you are aiming to secure an interview with your resume, not the actual position.
- Don’t forget white space! Don’t jam pack your resume with text. Yes, it does need to be concise but that refers to the overall amount of information. White space between the words, lines and paragraphs will improve the readability of your resume.
- Or the basics…. your name should be the first thing on your resume, in bold and with a larger font than the rest of the text. Make sure that your contact details are clearly listed.
- No lies, ever: even small lies should be avoided. Apart from simply being unethical, background checks are common and if you are busted it could damage your credibility in the market for good.
- Ask someone to review your resume: it’s a good idea to get a second opinion as another person can objectively evaluate the overall quality of your resume and perhaps make some good suggestions.
- Proof Read it: this cannot be over emphasised! A few small typos can reduce the positive impact of an otherwise great resume. Proof reading once is not enough – do it twice, three times or more.
- A note on Social Media: Have you Googled yourself lately? Results would be interesting…ensure to publish online only what you want everyone to see, not just your friends!
Three quick tips on keeping professional on social media:
1. Ensure you have a completed profile on LinkedIn with a professional photo.
2. Ensure Facebook content does not harm your professional reputation.
3. Stay in the know and follow key industry groups for up-to-date information.
As a part of our commitment to working with you to secure your ideal position within the Real Estate, Property, Development and Construction markets, GOUGH Recruitment will assist you to polish your resume so that it does indeed, stand out from the crowd. These tips will get you off to a great start.
