The Importance of a Good Resume
Your mother was right…you only get one chance to make a first impression. First impressions are everything and the first impression most potential employers get is your resume. Way before the first call/interview occurs, they see this document that will determine if you will add value to their organization. This is your opportunity to catch an employer’s attention, instead of it getting thrown into a pile with all the others. You want yours to be in the other pile, the good pile, the pile where resumes go on to live happy lives in a new career!
Think about looking at a resume. How long is your first glance? 5 minutes? 4 minutes? Even 1 minute? Nope. You glance at it for a couple of seconds & that’s exactly how long a potential employer will glance at it for the first time as well. So think about having only a couple of seconds to impress someone with what is on that document.
Keep it simple. Yes, employers want to know about your skill set, qualifications, strengths, etc. But when they are glancing at it for the first time, you don’t want that to be the first thing they see. A long paragraph or extensive objective statement can make a resume seem jumbled and crowded. And in my opinion, rarely looked at. You want to highlight your work history, accomplishments, & what experience you have that will impress them?
Make it chronological. Start out with your personal information (name, contact info, etc), then start in on your work history. They will want to see your most current job right away. How long have you been in your current role and have you been successful in it? Is your current job relevant to the role they are considering you for? Continue with previous positions. As a general rule, resumes shouldn’t be more than 2 pages. If you have to go into a 3rd page, keep it brief.
Sell yourself. With each position you have held, sell yourself! Use bullet points to showcase your accomplishments at each company. Did you win any sales awards? Make Presidents Club 3 years running? Did your work get published? Did you grow a region or positively impact the bottom line? What did you do there? Inquiring minds want to know!
Education? If you have a degree, industry certifications or designations, this should follow your work history.
Proofread! This sounds like common sense but you would be surprised at how many resumes I look at that have common spelling or grammatical errors. Take a few seconds and read your resume out loud. Make sure everything flows well and is spelled correctly. Your vs. You’re, I see it all the time! Also…don’t use first person references. Instead of saying, “I increased profits by 22% in the first year”, just drop the “I” completely and make it one of your bullet points.
I get asked pretty frequently, “Is my LinkedIn OK? Can they just look at that?” Survey says…….no! While LinkedIn is a great resource, potential employers want your resume. They want something they can look at whenever they need to, save it or make notes on. If a company is looking to fill a position, they don’t have time to keep referencing your LinkedIn page. Update your resume! It will be worth it in the end, trust me. And if you make your resume simple, clean, and to the point, I bet you will be getting that call for an interview for that great position you know you are perfect for.
