Your resume is your introduction to the recruiter and HR manager. Make sure your resume isn't an instant turnoff.
It’s hard enough keeping up with the trends of resume writing these days.
Objective statements are out; results are in. In very rare cases, your resume should be no longer than two pages. Oh, and don’t forget about making your resume searchable for software scanning. Without the right keywords, you may never get a call from a hiring manager, HR rep or recruiter.
It’s not about what you want out of your next position; it has to be about what you can bring to your next employer — and how you qualify that with action taken and numbers-based outcomes on your resume.
And don’t forget the formatting. It’s not only about what you say, it’s how it looks. Are you lulling readers who scan the page to sleep with the same , mundane look and feel throughout the document? Are you leaving enough white space for the eye to breathe?
A recent post from the Harvard Businees Review blog by author David Silverman sums it up this way:
- A Google search for “résumé” results in over 178,000,000 hits, whereas “possum” nets only 5,340,000. Thus the documentation of work experience is 33 and 1/3 more popular than arboreal marsupials. But what does this really tell us? Not much, but neither does the average résumé that comes across my desk. Some excerpts:
- “Administered resolution of issues and implementation of ideas surfaced by individuals.”
- “Partaking in meetings designed to enhance collaboration, identify and develop strategies to ensure success regarding the accomplishment of goals.”
- “Experienced leader with superior interpersonal skills and business acumen talented at building productive relationships across a global organization.” Huh?
Exactly.
Silverman goes on to suggest a very tangible list of things to do to get away from this kind of garbage-resume language and poor resume formatting.
Some key items on his list involve the importance of understanding how to use Microsoft Word in resume formatting, using the right industry terms and buzzwords to get attention, and using the right kind of verbs. He emphasizes using “managed,” “developed” and “wrote” rather than, say, “assisted,” “worked on,” or “contributed to.” Also, be very wary of typos.
He suggests that staying away from language that doesn’t highlight initiative, leadership and helping the business acheive its goals will lead to better results.
(Resume stack by frozenchipmunk, CC3.0)
For more on Resume Advice and Resume Tips:
- How Long Should Your Resume Be?
- How to Use Resume Bullet Points
- Resume, Meet Technology: Making Your Resume Format Machine-Friendly
- Beware the Functional Resume!
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