Getting ready for your next big career move? Refreshing your resume is going to be your first step toward that new dream job. While the perfect resume might not land you the job on it’s own, a poorly crafted resume could prevent you from being considered entirely.
This is going to be your prospective employer’s first opportunity to get to know you. Put your best foot forward and get that foot in the door by taking time early on to craft an honest and easy to read resume. Before you begin writing your resume, consider a few of these tips to help you best showcase who you are and what you can bring to the table.
Already have your resume together? Get your free, confidential review from a resume expert. Simply upload your resume online and receive personalized advice to help you stand out from the crowd. Get started here.
Tips For Writing Your Resume
Keep It Simple
While you may put a lot of time and energy behind writing your resume, chances are that the people you are sending it to will only take minutes reading it. Don’t waste their time with filler and miss your opportunity to shine. Get rid of content like objectives, references, hobbies, or unrelated interests that could distract the hiring manager from noticing your real skills and talents. They know your objective is to get the job, they can ask for references if they need them, and they don’t know you well enough yet to care what you do in your free time. This is your chance at a first impression so make every word count.
Keep It Relevant
Try not to overshare or trail away into off-topic anecdotes. While you want your resume and cover letter to feel personal, remember that your goal is to demonstrate your worth to a perspective employer. Stay focused on how you can benefit the company by being hired for the role. Personal stories should be relevant to your work history or skills that will make you successful in the position.
Keep It Honest
Though it should be obvious, it is worth repeating. Don’t lie. If you have to lie to get the job, can you really expect to feel confident or fulfilled in your new position? While you may feel pressured to make yourself look good in the application process, embellishing your value will quickly become obvious to the employer and will certainly sour their interest in hiring you. If you are scouring your thesaurus for big words to make yourself sound smart, you can bet the hiring manager won’t grab their dictionary to look those words up. It’s best to be yourself.
Once you have your final draft in order, be sure to upload your resume here. You’ll get a free consultation with personalized advice to help you enhance your resume even more.