Dominate Your Competition with the Ultimate Resume!
Everything you need to know to create a resume that will knock the socks off your next employer
Looking for some tips to polish up your already-slick resume? Or are you just sick and tired of dropping off resumes at every fast food chain, retail outlet, and summer camp within a 30-mile radius (never to hear back from anyone)? Whether you're trying for your first real job, or you've sat through more interviews than most hiring managers, this lens is dedicated to giving you the tools you need to get yourself in the door (assuming you're applying to a job that you're qualified for, of course!). So if you're ready to draft a resume that will blow your next employer away, read on for the four steps you need to know to create the ultimate resume and land that interview!
1) Pretty it up!
No, this doesn't involve using scented paper with a jungle leaf border... but the formatting and layout should be appealing to the eye. This means:
- All of your bullet points align perfectly
- The font is simple and easy to read (Times New Roman is standard)
- You use the same abbreviations throughout (ie. Jan, Feb, Mar... NOT Jan, February, Mar., April...)
- There is minimal wasted space on your resume (avoid clutter, but having too little information will make your resume appear weak and bare)
This list is not exhaustive; while you may think these things are trivial, make no mistake... employers may not notice if all these things are in place, but they will DEFINITELY notice if they're missing!
2) Customize your resume for each employer
If you're really serious about landing that dream job in software analysis, you'll list your computer skills near the very top of your resume. On the other hand, if you're after a position in public relations, computer skills probably aren't the first thing you'd like to show off.
Each employer is different, and the order in which you present your skills and talents should vary, both by employer, and by industry. Whether you choose to list your accomplishments in chronological or a more functional order, start with the most relevant information, and finish with the least relevant. This brings me to my next point:
Look for keywords!
Look carefully through the employer's job description to pinpoint specific traits and qualifications that they are looking for in a successful candidate. This is how you decide what is most relevant! For example, if the job description calls for an employee who is "analytical and detail-oriented," you probably won't score many points by stating that you are an extroverted visionary. A good rule of thumb to follow:
For every keyword you find in the job description, you should use it at least once in your resume.
You give yourself a much greater chance of being noticed and standing out if you align your resume to match the specifications that the employer is looking for.
3) Use impact words to begin each bullet
Which set of accomplishments sounds more impressive?
This one:
- Brought in significantly more revenue over previous year's franchisee
- Came up with extremely successful marketing strategies
- Took weekly inventories of supplies and merchandise
Or this one:
- Significantly increased franchise revenue over previous year's franchisee
- Devised extremely successful marketing strategies
- Conducted weekly inventories of supplies and merchandise
You guessed it; using impact verbs to start off a bullet point will have a greater effect on the reader than simple, boring, everyday words, even if all of the information you present is exactly the same.
Now, some of you reading this may still see something missing, even from the second set of bullets. What exactly is it that's missing? Read on to point number four to find out.
4) Be specific and measurable!
Potential employers aren't just looking for you to spit your job description back at them; they want to know exactly how well you accomplished the tasks that were assigned to you! Give them what they want by being specific and measurable in each bullet point. Again, I'll ask you to make the comparison; using the second set of bullets from number 3) above, which of the following sets of accomplishments sounds more impressive?
Number one:
- Significantly increased franchise revenue over previous year's franchisee
- Devised extremely successful marketing strategies
- Conducted weekly inventories of supplies and merchandise
Or number two:
- Increased franchise revenue 247% (from $9500 to $23500) over previous year's franchisee through superior customer service and marketing strategies
- Devised extremely successful marketing strategies that generated over 300 new customers
- Conducted weekly inventories of supplies and merchandise, reorganizing them in a way that made them more easily accessible
As you can see, impact verbs are only one piece of the puzzle. Another important component is to be specific and measurable. Employers don't just want to know what you did; they want to know how well you did it.
See below for my personal interpretation of these points; my resume.
Here's one way you could put it all together: - Yes, this was my actual resume in 2008... practice what you preach, of course!
If you take away just one thing...
There is one shared theme throughout this entire article: specificity. Your resume must be treated like a custom piece of artwork, as opposed to a mass-produced generic product. Each customer (employer) demands a special order that meets their specific tastes and requirements. You can either meet those demands, or be left wondering why the hiring manager chose the guy who handed in his resume after you for an interview. Heck, maybe he knew these pointers...
And if you enjoyed this lens, please rate it! And check out my second lens ever and tell me what you think. It's a more personal one, about my local tennis club, and the incredible effect it had on me growing up; it's titled The Welland Tennis Club. I'd love your feedback on that one as well!
