RESUME TIPS

A resume is the first thing an employer judges you based on your presentation, talents, and skills. It is essential to have a resume that stands out. This doesn’t mean that a resume must be full of color or have designs on them. Having a solid and effective resume can significantly improve your chances of landing that dream job. Several websites have tips and tricks that can be applied to your resume, but most pop up with a handful of them. Since it is evident that making an impactful resume is essential, Root Staff ensured that everything is placed in one place or at your convenience. But how can you make sure that your resume is top-notch and bulletproof to the employer?

Well, here are the best tips for that knock-out resume that’s going to get you hired.

• PURPOSE OF YOUR RESUME
  Some people write a resume as the document was to land a job. As a result, they create a never-ending boring piece resume that makes the employer feel like a desperate job hunter. The objective of your resume is to land an interview. The interview is what helps you get the job (once all goes well).
• STRENGTHS AND QUALITIES
  Try to make it precise and straightforward instead of a long boring list with all your qualities (e.g., disciplined, creative, problem solver). Try to connect your qualities and strengths with your real-life and past work experiences. If you fill it up with jargon, it will appear to impress without implementation.
• KEYWORDS
  Most companies are using digital databases to search for candidates. This means that the HR department will search queries based on specific keywords. Guess what? If your resume doesn’t have particular keywords related to the job you are applying for, you will be out even before the game starts. These keywords are usually nouns. To be visible to your preferred employer, check out their job descriptions and related job advertisements for a clue on what the employer might be on the hunt for. You can even read more about resume keywords in the article “Tapping the Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resume’s Effectiveness.”
• EFFECTIVE TITLES
  Like it or not, employers will make a judgment about your resume in 5 seconds. Under this time frame, the most critical aspect will be the titles you listed on the resume under this time frame, so make sure they grab the attention. Try to be as descriptive as possible, giving the employer a good idea about the nature of your past work experiences. For example:
  • Bad title: Accounting
  • Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping
• THOROUGH PROOFREAD
  It is imperative to proofread any document you must send to anyone. For example, if you are sending your email to an employer and at the end, you write “Retards, Alex” instead of “Regards, Alex” and hit the send button, your chances of hiring fall to 74%. Proofreading your content helps you eliminate mistakes, even if it is one small typo or any other information that had to be looked upon. Proofreading your resume once is not enough, so do it twice, three times, or as many times as necessary.
• BULLET POINTS
  No employer will have the time or patience to read long paragraphs and go through endless pages. The best way to make your resume instantly attractive is to have your content compressed by using bullet points and short sentences or phrases to describe your experiences, educational background, and professional objectives. It makes the content easier to read, seems convenient, and is to the point. Hence, the employer would know what you want, expect, and your advantages instead of exhausting themselves from going through too many words.
• CLARITY ON YOUR OBJECTIVES
  Professional goals help giving employers an idea of where you are going and how you want to arrive there. You don’t need to have a special section devoted to your professional objectives, but overall, the resume must communicate it. It is optional to highlight your career objectives on the resume, and if you decide to list them, make sure they are not generic and are to the point.
• PRIORITIZE THE INFORMATION
  This point is valid both to the overall order of your resume and the individual sections. Most of the time, your previous work experience will be the most crucial part of the resume; if that is so, put it at the top. When describing your experiences or skills, list the most important ones first.
• TYPOGRAPHY First, make sure that your fonts are big enough. The smallest font size you should use is 11 points, but 12 points are the safest option to work with. Do not use capital letters all over the place. Remember that your goal is to communicate a message as fast and as clearly as possible. Font styles – Arial and Times New Roman – are good choices.
• AVOID ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
  Many people like to include statements like “Available for interview” or “References available upon request.” If you are sending a resume to a company, it should be a given that you are available for an interview and provide references if requested. Just avoid items that will make the employer think, “no kidding!”
• HIGHLIGHT THE BENEFITS OF YOUR SKILLS
  Merely stating that you can do something will not catch the attention of the employer. If you explain how it will benefit the company and connect it to a tangible result, you will significantly improve your chances of hiring the employer.
• AVOID NEGATIVITY
  Do not include information that might seem negative. This is valid both to your resume and interviews. You don’t need to have, for instance, things that you hated about your last company.
• ACHIEVEMENTS RATHER THAN RESPONSIBILITIES
  Resumes that include a long list of “responsibilities included…” are plain, boring, and inefficient in selling yourself. Instead of listing responsibilities, describe your professional achievements. This improves the look and feel of your resume in the eyes of an employer.
• AVOID PHOTOGRAPHS
  Sure, we know that you are good-looking. Still, unless you are applying for a job where physical traits are vital (e.g., modeling, acting, and so on), and unless the employer specifically requested it, you should avoid attaching your picture to the resume. You should mainly be chosen for the work you do, the talent you have, and not because you look good. Because you would be judged on that too.
• UTILIZE NUMBERS
  This tip is a complement to the 13th point. If you describe your past professional achievements, it would be a good idea to make them as solid as possible. Numbers are your friends here. Don’t merely mention that you increased the annual revenues of your division; say that you increased them by $100,000, by 78%, and so on. This makes the employer know that you are precise and confident in the work you do.