It’s easy for job seekers to get bogged down in all the details and latest trends of the modern job search. But at the heart of career success lies the most important document you will write: your resume. Wherever you are in your career, however many formats or templates you have of your resume, there are several critical elements of a genuinely impactful resume. This post will briefly address why a resume is so important and a general guideline for writing one. The resume is not what it used to be, and an outdated look could be preventing an invitation to interview. Here are the new basics of resume writing.
What to Highlight
The most valuable qualifications you can highlight on your resume are those based around skills you have gained working on other projects over the years, your accomplishments to date, and the quantifiable results you have provided for past employers. When an employer or a recruiter reads through a resume, they are most interested in learning what services and skills you can offer their company as a new hire. Focus on what you, as an employee, can bring to the table.
The Importance of Relevance
If you are a more experienced professional, you can likely fill many pages with valuable information about your skills and achievements. But remember that a resume should be short and to the point. Employers who see over-long resumes often move on to the next one simply because they don’t have time to wade through the minute details of every candidate’s history.
Keep your resume focused on the most important and most relevant skills, achievements, and qualifications that make you right for the job you are applying for. That likely means revising it for each new job you apply for. Consider that a good thing. By trimming down your resume, you’re not negating the achievements that don’t make the cut. Rather you are bringing attention to the most relevant aspects of your work history.
Keep Your Resume Up to Date
It’s easy to let a resume get out of date, especially for those who are currently employed. Experience builds over time, and projects come and go. Unless you are making frequent updates to your resume, some of those valuable qualifications might be forgotten when you do get around to revising the document. It’s a good idea to keep a master resume, which can be as long as it needs to be to list all the accomplishments and skills you have developed over time. Then, when you are applying for a specific job, you can revise and trim the list down to a more manageable size based on the job description you are provided.
Adding the Polish that Will Get You Noticed
The effectiveness of a resume is based entirely on whether or not it gets you an interview. If you are having trouble getting a foot in the door, consider the overall impact of your resume. Is it formatted well? Are you confident it is written clearly and is free of all grammatical or spelling errors? Are your references up to date? Does your work history include any unexplained gaps that might be a red flag? Take a final look at your resume as if you were an interviewer. Make sure your resume is clear, clean, and makes you look like the best applicant for the job.
Are you ready for new opportunities?
For more help finding your next step in your career, connect with the team at All-Star Personnel today.
