Let me just start by saying that the current unemployment
rate for Indiana as of April of 2012 was 7.9%. Now, that might not seem like a
very high number….unless you are part of that percentage! In my last blog I
talked about interviewing tips, but how do you even get to the interview part
of the process if your resume can’t make it out of the stack? So, I would like
to suggest some tips on resume writing to hopefully ensure that your resume
doesn’t go from the stack, to the shredder without ever be considered.
In doing some extensive research on the subject I have found
a few common Do’s and Don’ts that keep showing up over and over again. So let’s
start with those. Some are very very obvious, like…DON’T lie! We touched on
this in the last blog, when interviewing do NOT lie, it will be found out and
never ends well. But sometimes when we are writing our resumes, we tend to want
to embellish a bit. Do not, under any circumstances, lie on your resume. If you
have some experience with a particular skill, state that fact. But don’t list
it as something you are an expert at. When the time comes to demonstrate your
knowledge of said skill, it won’t be hard to tell that you may have stretched
the truth on your resume. But then, there are less obvious Don’ts that, maybe,
you are overlooking. Don’t use more than 2 font sizes and types. Don’t use
graphics, pictures or logos. Don’t use abbreviations, except for states. Don’t
use the words “my”, “I”, or other personal pronouns. Don’t include personal
information such as social security number, age, marital status, etc. Don’t
forget to use spell check, but also do not solely rely on it for all
corrections.
While we are on the subject of “Don’ts”, let’s talk about
one more thing that I read over and over again during my research. You don’t
need the objective. Seriously, you don’t need it. Objectives are rarely
well-written and most of the times they take up space with some generic saying
like, “seeking a challenging position” or “to obtain meaningful employment”. So, just leave those out. If your resume is
full of descriptive job experiences, education, and personal volunteer work or
other skills that should be highlighted, then there is no need for an objective
that will be skipped over anyway.
When you get to the employment history, go in
reverse-chronological order. Start with your last job and work your way back.
You should make sure that each job is properly spaced from the last so that it
is easily read. If everything is jumbled together, the person reviewing your
resume will likely scan it for keywords and toss it aside. There is not enough
time in the day to try and decipher all of the resumes that come through email
or snail mail, so make your resume easy to read and understand. Also, when you
are describing what you did at that particular job, be sure to list specific
accomplishments with details. Don’t clutter it up with the duties you
performed. Instead, list the end result and the skills that were required to
get to that result.
When you get to the bottom of your resume, don’t forget to
add in your volunteer work, community service activities, continuing education,
civic background, etc. This will give your resume some personality and will
help highlight your focus and work ethic. Your character is being evaluated
along with your experience pertaining to the job opening.
Do not think that one size fits all when it comes to
resumes. If you are sending out the same generic resume to every employer, you
are way more likely to have your resume end up in the trashcan or shredder than
people who gear their resume to fit the job for which they are applying. You
need your resume to be specific to the position, and you need a different
resume for each position that you apply for. Studies have shown, and I have
read countless times, that interviewers look at each resume for an average of 6
seconds. In those 6 seconds they need to see buzzwords and keywords that are
specific to the position for which they are interviewing in order for them to
look more closely at your resume. A generic resume with no qualifying content
will most likely not get you a call for an interview.
Lastly, you do not need to put “References upon request”. If
you do not have references on your resume, it is assumed that you will be able
to provide them upon request. This one simple line is a space waster and also
another generic part of your resume that isn’t needed. If you do not have room
for the references on your resume, just leave that line off. However, with more
resumes moving to 2 pages long, it would be prudent to have those references
listed. If an interview sees that you took the time to list your references,
then they know you are more likely to go that extra step in the workplace even
if it isn’t necessarily needed, to add something beneficial that so many other
people just leave out. But if your resume is already chocked full of relevant
content and detailed examples of why you are a good fit for the job, references
aren’t needed and you can provide them at a later date, when requested.
Hopefully these tips help when you sit down to write your
next resume. Be creative; don’t use a format that is already made for you. Take
the time to make your own. But don’t go overboard. There is a line between
being creative and being too casual.
As always, I encourage and welcome any and all comments or
questions. If you have other tips that I didn’t touch on, add them to the
comment section! We always look forward to hearing from you.
Have a great week, make it count!
Casey
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