Your resume has one important job: to show employers you’re a candidate worth interviewing. By making a positive impression and presenting yourself as a viable match for the job requirements, you can stand out from the crowd and earn the chance to talk about your skills in person.
Employers receive roughly 118 resumes for every job posting. Incorporate these three resume tips to make sure yours doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.
1. Make It Concise.
Get your message across in as few words as possible; don’t waste employers’ time with information that isn’t relevant to the company or position. Keep your resume to no more than two pages, unless you are an executive with years of experience. When it’s succinct, you’ll be more likely to get the opportunity to fill in details in the interview.
2. Keep It Consistent.
Help employers easily digest your information by using consistent formatting and organization. Not only does this show you care about quality and presentation, it allows employers to quickly find and process the information they need.
- Use bullet points, uniform text fonts and sizes, and clean margins to create an easily readable document.
- Use an active voice without personal pronouns (e.g. “Managed three direct reports,” vs. “I was responsible for managing three people who reported directly to me.”).
Rewriting a resume is hard work, but one that makes a powerful statement about your experience and passion can get you in the door for a potential employment opportunity. It did just that for me. I secured an interview, and received an offer, for a practicum/internship opening. Tyffany K.
3. Customize for Each Application.
Show employers that you’re the best match for the position by tailoring your resume to each job description. Here are three effective—and easy—ways:
- Lead with a Relevant Summary. The “objective” statement has gone the way of the dinosaur. Instead, lead with a summary statement that serves as a short, written version of personal elevator speech. For example:
Respected manager with strong business acumen and specific expertise in Information Technology. Proven ability to lead staff, as well as develop and implement projects. Over 10 years experience organizing and directing work efforts of cross-functional teams, customers and vendors to produce quality results. Passion for customer service and proven ability to communicate and inspire others to demonstrate strong client-focused service.
- Showcase the Right Skills. Employers select candidates whose knowledge and skills match the requirements of the job. Get your resume in the keeper pile by listing your skills and experience and defining yourself using terms and keywords from the job description.
- Highlight Your Achievements. Shine a light on the results of your efforts by including outcomes of your work. Don’t just say what your task or responsibility was, include that you “improved efficiency.” If you can define that improvement—using numbers and percentages whenever possible— great! In any case, demonstrate how your contributions affected the organization as a whole. For example:
Lead cross-functional business and IT strategy teams to redesign IT processes to better meet customer goals, resulting in 5%improved productivity, 8% quicker response time and reduced expenses by 10%.
The Capella University Career Center’s mission is to empower students and alumni to proactively manage their careers and make meaningful, and effective, career decisions.
