It’s a tough world out there and chances are if you’ve applied for a job recently you’ll find that you are potentially one of hundreds who have submitted an application for that job.
For the recruitment agency or advertising company, I can tell you it’s not a lot of fun wading through all those applications, particularly when so many of them are – to put it bluntly – crap.
If you’re not taking the time to put some effort into your Resume, if it’s not relevant to the job and if it doesn’t immediately shout out your core strengths then you are wasting both your time and the time of the person advertising the role.
The same goes with your cover letter – make it short and to the point, and make sure it showcases the reasons why you are the best candidate for the job.
So what can you do about it? Here’s my top 12 tips to write a great resume:
Hire a professional to write you an awesome resume and cover letter. Trust me, it will be money well spent.
If you’re happy that you can do a good job yourself, look online for a resume template – there are loads of free ones available that stand out from the boring old standard resume.
Make sure the front page summarises your key business strengths, your profile and job objectives, and your employment history (just roles, companies and dates, you can get in to the detail on the next pages). If you’re looking for a middle or upper management position I’d also recommend you include some professional attributes on the front page. This may sound like a lot of information, but remember, it’s key points only.
On the second page, list your education and training, along with any other relevant skills and qualifications that you have (including computer skills).
Also on the second page, start detailing your work experience – list your key responsibilities and always add a section that lists your achievements. If you find this bit hard, talk to someone like me who who has written hundreds of resumes and knows how to get these out of you. Achievements don’t need to be huge things that saved the business a tonne of money, they can be as simple as introducing a new cleaning technique that simply saved time.
Unless you’re under 35, I never recommend that you out your date of birth on your resume. Prospective employers should be interested in your skills not your age. And on this note, if you have an email address that is a dead give-away for your age (something like fred1963@hotmail.com) then get yourself another email to use when you send in your resume.
Don’t list your referees – there is no need for these to appear on your resume as they are not going to be contacted unless and until you are on the short list for the job.
Do get a quote from your referees if possible and add it to your resume – a strong quote stands out and catches attention
Limit yourself to no more than 4 pages – 2 is even better. If you can't do it in 4 pages talk to a professional who can.
Before sending your resume, check it for keywords. Most recruitment agencies these days have digital databases to search for candidates. When they do a search, they are looking for keywords that are included in your resume, so make sure they are included in yours. How do you know what these are? It’s easy, just check the job description and related job ads for a clue on what the employer might be looking for. Note that keywords will usually be nouns.
Tailor your cover letter to the job advertised. Address it personally to the advertiser. Include the job reference number and position at the start of the letter. Let them know in 2 short paragraphs why you are the best person for the job.
Proofread everything twice. Then ask a friend / neighbour / partner to read it for you to double check there are no errors and it reads well
So there it is – pretty simple if you put your mind to it. Always remember though – the purpose of your resume is not to land you a job. It’s purpose its to get you a job interview – after that, it’s up to you.
If you need help getting your resume into top shape, I’d love to help. Just give me (Pauline) a call on 0400 514579 or shoot me an email to pauline@worddynamics.com.au and let’s start talking about getting you a show-stopping resume today.