by ResumeSpice Team | Oct 31, 2022 | Resume Writing
Selecting the right resume writing service involves more than finding a company that can string together a few sentences and facts. The chosen service needs to effectively summarize your attributes, experience, and knowledge in a format that flows, while making you stand out from other applicants. The checklist of must-have features below will streamline the process and help you eliminate unqualified companies
#1: Experience Counts
The job market of today is the most competitive in decades, which means you need a professional resume writing service that has concrete experience across a broad range of industries. Rather than relying on a single person who has limited first-hand recruiting experience, look for a company that has in-depth recruiting experience and has worked with hiring managers and human resource personnel who make decisions on job seekers’ resumes every day. They will be more likely to put together a resume that effective captures the hiring manager’s attention.
#2: Consultations, Not Forms
Most resume writing companies incorporate initial forms that ask clients to input key information about their career goals. A company that excels will couple the form with extensive consultations. Choose a company that offers a choice of several consultations formats such as Skype, in-person, and phone to fit your style, personality, and schedule. This approach results in a customized resume that reflects what you have to offer and how you are the best choice for the job.
#3: Timely Delivery
Everyone's heard horror stories about someone finding a listing with the perfect job, only to find out later that an applicant was chosen within a few days of the job posting, before they even had a chance to apply. When it comes to nailing the job you want, timeliness is critical. Look for a professional resume writing service that can turn around a first draft of your resume in as little as two days
#4: Quality Shines Through
Working with a team at a resume writing service not only ensures that your resume gets the customization you deserve, it also enjoys scrutiny from people with different perspectives who each have something to offer. This team effort guarantees that at least two different people work on and review your resume so that it passes the applicant tracking systems utilized by most employers.
#5: Guaranteed
Some sort of guarantee is pretty standard for resume writing services. What you'll often find after you dig a little deeper though, is lots of fine print and exclusions. These are designed to protect the resume writer — not you. A resume writing service that is confident in its ability and that has proven itself within the industry, needs no such fine print. Instead, look for a company that offers a simple guarantee that results in actionable steps for you, such as a free rework of your resume if you don't receive a request for an interview within 60 days.
A resume is your introduction to a potential employer and, as such, should be trusted to a proven, professional resume writing service. Finding the right resume writing service that can deliver a powerful document that generates results, might just be the best investment you make this year.
Call ResumeSpice to learn how we can help you stand out in a crowded marketplace with a resume that gets the attention it deserves. As one of the country’s leading professional resume writing services, we can help you produce a winning resume. Contact us today to learn more at 832.930.7378.
by ResumeSpice Team | Oct 31, 2022 | Resume Writing
Is one of your career resolutions to find a new job? Then, as one of the leading career coaching services, ResumeSpice knows your resume is a critical tool in the process. But if you haven’t looked at your resume in a while, then it can be difficult to know where to start. To help you create a great resume so you can land your dream job, here are 5 tips to help:
Tip #1: Brainstorm about your background.
When you’re first starting out, don’t filter yourself. Instead, write down everything you can think of regarding your career, including past jobs, accomplishments, awards, new skills, certifications earned, continuing education, and any other relevant facts. You can edit all this information and tailor it later.
Tip #2: Concentrate on the wins.
For each position you’ve held, don’t just define your tasks and responsibilities. Hiring managers want to know more than you just “Ordered office supplies.” Instead focus on the positive impact your work had on the company, as well as any important accomplishments. For example, state that you “managed the office budget and office supply contracts, re-negotiating with vendors and saving 15% on supplies in the process.” Hiring managers want to see a track record of success backed up by facts and figures.
Tip #3: Look for help from other sources.
Writing a great resume isn’t easy. Instead, look for inspiration from other sources around the web to jumpstart your thought process. For instance, a site like LinkedIn could be helpful when you look for other professionals with a background similar to yours to see how they market themselves. That’s not to say you should be copying and pasting from the web; but it’s a great place to go as a guide.
Tip #4: Take a look at past evaluations.
You can also look at your past performance evaluations as another source of inspiration when you’re writing your resume. If you have copies of yours, look for your areas of strengths and positive comments from your past bosses. It will also help ensure you don’t overlook any important areas in your background.
Tip #5: Tailor your resume every time you apply.
Don’t send the same resume to every job you’re applying to. Instead, tailor and tweak it for each unique position. For one position, knowing a certain computer program could be critically important. If that’s the case – and you’re literate in that program – then tout that detail at the bottom of your resume in a “Skills” section. Remember, you’re trying to not only give hiring managers an overview of your background, but also stand out in a sea of other candidates.
Your resume is your ticket into the interview process. By following the tips above, you can ensure you create a great one that gets results.
If you’d like more help creating your resume, or finding job leads, reach out to ResumeSpice. As a leading career services company, we can assist you with the entire job search process – from writing a strong resume to preparing for interviews to ongoing career coaching.
by ResumeSpice | Oct 31, 2022 | Resume Writing
Searching for a job can feel tedious and thankless. You put countless hours into researching companies, finding relevant open positions, drafting cover letters, tweaking and submitting your resume, only to receive a canned email response in return – if you’re lucky.
In fact, the number of resumes that get reviewed by human resource managers is strikingly low. Thanks to ubiquitous automated Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), most resumes are scanned for relevant keywords before making it to an actual human for review.
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by ResumeSpice Consultant | Sep 30, 2022 | Resume Writing
When it comes to the skills on your resume, they generally fall into two categories: hard or soft skills. Employers are interested in seeing a mix that are most relevant to the job.
However, if you’re not really sure what these are or which are important to highlight on your resume, here’s what to know.
Hard vs. Soft Skills
Hard skills are technical skills that are related to your ability to do a job. These can be gained through education, courses, training, seminars, and on-the-job experience. Generally, these can also be measured in specific ways, so they are easier to spot and evaluate during the hiring process.
In manufacturing, for instance, a hard skill would be knowing how to operate a forklift. In IT, it would be understanding how to code a website. For office management positions, on the other hand, a hard skill would be knowing how to create and analyze spreadsheets
Soft skills are less tangible. These are personality traits that help people thrive in certain positions and with other people. They can include anything from communication and collaboration skills to motivation and work ethic, organizational skills, being detail-oriented and more.
In recent years, employers are looking more and more at soft skills. While technical skills are always important for a role, companies are recognizing that soft skills are also critical to the success of their team.
It’s why, when you’re in the midst of the hiring process, a company might have you take a personality or psychometric test to assess your attributes and personality traits. This can help them find out how you will react in certain situations, so they can decide who will be the best fit candidate for the position.
What Soft Skills to Focus On
The soft skills that are important to list on your resume depend on the specific job and company. If you’re not sure, do some research. Go back and re-read the job posting. Also review the company’s website, social media profiles, and any news articles you can find. This should give you some clarity on which soft skills the company finds important.
In general, some key soft skills employers are interested in are:
Each day, different challenges come your way. Being able to remain flexible and calm, adapt, and come up with a solution – without a lot of hand holding – is key for many companies. Other similar soft skills that are important to employers include creative thinking and organizational and planning skills.
No matter what industry you work in, demonstrating a positive attitude can deliver a variety of benefits to a company. Those who deliver a constant stream of negativity instead can deplete energy, motivation and morale. However, those with a quiet sense of optimism and a positive attitude are those who can turn setbacks around and remain motivated.
Employers want to hire people who can handle challenges and changes on a routine basis. This generally comes down to an individual’s ability to tolerate and cope with stress. When the ground under your feet starts to shift, how do you react? When you can tolerate an obstacle and recover quickly, you’ll be more successful on the job. Other similar traits that are desirable include adaptability and resourcefulness.
- Collaboration & Communication
The ability to work well with others and communicate effectively, both in person and via writing, are other examples of highly sought-after soft skills. Can you work with a dynamic team of diverse people with different perspectives? Are you able to persuade others to see your side on a matter? Or can you empathize with those you might not agree with? These are all traits that can help you remain calm and carry on in the office.
How to List Soft Skills On Your Resume
When it comes to soft skills, these can be trickier to list on your resume. Saying you’re a “team player” is vague and generic. Any candidate can claim to be a good collaborator. However, if this soft skill is key to a particular position, show rather than tell.
For instance, explain a certain project or problem you were able to solve using your collaboration skills and what the outcome was. Sharing these kinds of successes will give a hiring manager confidence you have what it takes to succeed in the role.
You can discuss these in different sections of your resume, such as the “Summary of Qualifications” at the top. You can also highlight them in your “Work History” if a certain soft skill was particularly important for your current role or a past position. If you possess a rare soft skill, be sure to also talk about it on your cover letter in more detail.
Get Professional Resume Help from ResumeSpice
At ResumeSpice, we have a team of professional resume writers who can help you highlight all the right skills on your resume, including soft and hard skills. We’ll help you craft a resume and cover letter that gets you noticed – and delivers results. Ready to get started? Simply reach out at 832.930.7378 or contact us online.
by ResumeSpice Consultant | Sep 16, 2022 | Resume Writing
Whatever industry you work in or your professional level of experience you have, computers are a part of everyday work life. While you might not need advanced skills, most jobs do require at least some level of proficiency in both hardware and software skills. So what’s the difference?
Hardware skills involve understanding how to operate a computer. At higher levels and in more technical fields, it might involve troubleshooting issues or changing or fixing broken parts. However, even at the most basic position, it includes knowing how to turn a computer or other device on and off and use it properly.
Software skills, on the other hand, are those skills that revolve around actual applications and programs. If you don’t know what a particular employer uses, they will generally train you on their different software systems. This is part of the onboarding process. If, though, you’re able to demonstrate experience and proficiency in a software system they already use, this can help set you apart from other candidates.
Bottom line? Whether you work in IT, or in manufacturing, law, medicine, food service, hospitality, customer service, or a different industry, you need computer skills on your resume.
Which are the most sought-after computer skills employers look for? Here’s a look at the top 5.
#1: MS Office or G Suite
Most companies use Microsoft Office or G Suite in some capacity, so being proficient in one or both of these will help you get up and running faster on the job. This includes applications like Google Docs, or Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.
If you’re applying for positions in administration or as an office manager, for instance, then these programs will be even more important to highlight on your resume or in your cover letter. Likewise, if you’ll be working in sales or another position in which making presentations or reporting data are important, then proficiency in programs, like Excel and PowerPoint, or Google Spreadsheets, will be key.
#2: Communication Tools
Whether a company uses Slack, Skype, Meetup or Zoom, experience with these programs will help position you as a strong candidate. If the position is telecommute, hybrid or remote, then highlighting your knowledge in these areas is especially important. Likewise, if the job description lists one of these, such as Slack, then including your experience with this application will help increase your chance of getting a call for an interview.
#3: Accounting Programs
Other programs that are important to know for certain finance-related positions include FreshBooks, QuickBooks, Sage50, Zoho Books, or Xero. Whether you’re an accountant, office manager, or accounts payable assistant, knowing one or more of these will be helpful in your future role.
#4: Social Media
From Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and more, knowing your way around these and other social media sites is crucial for certain positions. Think marketing, public relations, and communications. However, if you’re working in an administrative role for a small business or a start-up, for instance, you might also be charged with managing these channels.
In addition to knowing how to navigate your way through these sites, it’s also important to be able to analyze the results, such as from software like Google Analytics or Hootsuite. These are social media management platforms that enable you to monitor the effectiveness of your social media strategy and make changes when needed.
#5: Computer Programming
If you’re applying for a position in IT, then you’ll need to showcase your technical skills. However, other positions, like those in marketing, can benefit from computer programming skills, too.
So, if you’ve get them, flaunt them on your resume and in your cover letter. For more technical positions, like the role of computer programmer or web designer, it’s important to demonstrate proficiency in areas like HTML, Java and UI / UX.
How to List Computer Skills On Your Resume
Now that you know the top skills to showcase on your resume, the next step is writing about them in the best way. For instance, rather than just listing your social media skills on your resume and the sites you’re familiar with, write in your cover letter about a certain project you spearheaded and the results you achieved. This will not only communicate that you have the right-fit skills, but also the proven track record to add value to a future employer.
Another way to showcase your computer skills is to create a “Computer Skills” section for them on your resume. Use a subhead and create a summary of your skills with bullet points for the relevant programs you know. You can also include them in your “Work History” section if a particular program was important for your current or a previous role.
For instance, you can state something such as:
“Used QuickBooks to manage business finances, process invoices and payments, and supervise all aspects of bookkeeping.”
Get Professional Resume Writing Help.
If you’d like help from the pros, turn to ResumeSpice. We’re experts in resume writing and know what employers want to see. We can evaluate your current resume and edit and polish it, or write one from scratch. You’ll put your best foot forward with help from our team. Simply call 832.930.7378 or contact us online to get started.
by The ResumeSpice Team | Aug 24, 2022 | Resume Writing
Do you read through your resume and think “dull’? If so, it could be a problem because hiring managers want more than technical skills. They are reading between the lines to see some personality too – so they can evaluate whether you’re the right fit for their organization.
Yet infusing personality is a balancing act. You don’t want to go too far and portray yourself in a negative light, hurting your chances of getting an interview. Instead, consider the following tips to add personality the right way.
Decide What Personality Traits to Highlight
The job listing will be your guide in identifying the personality traits you should showcase on your resume. Read through it and try to get a sense of what’s important for the position and the employer.
Also do some digging online, reading through the company’s website, social media profiles, news articles, and any other information that can shed some light into what personality traits are important to the company. Make a list of a few that you can tie to your own personality and include on your resume.
Don’t Say What You Are; Show What You Do
For instance, if working well under pressure is important for the job, don’t simply state that you “work well under pressure” on your resume. Anyone can claim this and it’s difficult for a hiring manager to verify.
Instead, use a specific example to show how you work well when the pressure is on. For instance, say something like “Met 50+ monthly deadlines for the planning and implementation of online marketing strategy.” This shows that you’re able to juggle pressure and meet deadlines on the job.
Use Simple Words
Don’t use business jargon or overly complicated words to get your personality across. Instead, keep it simple when it comes to your language and write like a human, not a robot.
For instance, skip words like “utilized” instead opt for “use.” Remember, this document should be easy to scan and reader friendly, so choose the simplest, clearest language. If you use overly complicated words to describe yourself and your abilities, you might come off as dry, boastful, or both.
Focus On the Positives
When it comes to personality traits, make sure you are painting them in a positive light. For instance, if you think you’re stubborn, don’t say that on your resume. Rather, talk about how you’re resilient and persistent on the job. Using the right words and phrases is key, so that you’re putting your best foot forward and not scaring off employers by showing too much personality.
Some other examples of personality traits that employers like to see include ambition, humility, creativity, dependability, adaptability, and flexibility.
Leave Out the Negatives
Everyone has personality traits that could be perceived as a weakness. Just make sure in whatever you say about your personality, that you don’t potentially leave the wrong impression with the hiring manager.
If you’re not sure after you write your resume, ask for a second opinion. Give it to a trusted friend or family member to see what they think. If they see something off, then remove it. It’s not worth taking the risk. A few negative personality traits to avoid discussing include being stubborn, controlling, judgmental, critical, pessimistic, and rebellious.
Share Your LinkedIn Profile
You know hiring managers are going to Google you if they’re interested in interviewing you. You might as well put your social media profiles front and center and use them to reflect your personality.
Before you do, though, audit your profile to ensure it paints you in a positive light and best reflects your personality traits. It might seem scary to send a hiring manager right to social media. However, they’re going to find you anyway. By opening the door and welcoming them in, it could make the difference between you and another candidate who’s more evasive.
Dig Deeper In Your Cover Letter
If you’re having a hard time infusing personality into your resume, then focus on the facts there and tell more of a story in your cover letter. This is where you dig a little deeper into who you are, what you do, and key accomplishments you’d like to highlight.
In whatever you do on your resume in terms of adding personality, keep it short and simple. Even if you think you wrote the world’s greatest resume and it’s now three pages, pare it down. The hiring manager only takes a few seconds to scan every resume and you don’t want them to skip yours because it’s too long. Offer up just enough to get them interested, so they call you.
Do You Need Help Putting Some Personality Into Your Resume?
Turn to the professionals at ResumeSpice. We’re here for you with resume writers who know how to craft winning resumes and cover letters that showcase who you are – and why a company would want to hire you. Ready to get started? Simply reach out at 832.930.7378 or contact us online.
by ResumeSpice Team | Jul 5, 2022 | Resume Writing
If your resume is in need of a major overhaul, sometimes the hardest part is figuring out where to begin.
As a leading provider of career services, including resume and cover letter writing, interview prep, LinkedIn consulting, and career coaching, ResumeSpice knows how to turn your resume into every recruiter’s dream. Here are some tips that will get your resume in the spotlight.
1) Keep it relevant to the job you want
If you’ve spent the last five years as a marketing professional, but are seeking a sales position, it might be wise to showcase the relevant sales skills you have developed in your most recent position(s).
2) Leave out the objective statement
Resume best practices are constantly evolving and there was a time when including objective statements was standard. Today, with hiring managers overloaded by resumes, objective statements are seen as at best, unnecessary, and at worst, a way for resume screeners to weed out candidates whose stated objective doesn’t precisely match the position.
If you want a potential employer to know more about you and why you’re a great fit for the job, include a cover letter with your application.
3) Use reverse chronological order
Even though resume standards and practices do change, one thing that has remained constant is the order in which you should list your experience. You’ll want to begin with your most recent or current position and work backwards, which means the education section of your resume should be listed after your professional history. The only exception to this rule is for recent grads, who are better served listing their education first.
4) Keywords might be the key to unlocking an interview request
Because your resume will likely be filtered by an applicant tracking system at some point, it should contain the right keywords based on the job description. If you read the description and you’re still not sure which keywords to use, there are tools like TagCrowd that can help you decide which keywords are the most relevant.
5) Keep it simple
Focus on keeping your information organized and easy to skim over. Most recruiters are scanning your resume for specific skill sets and information, so don’t overshadow the content of your resume with wordiness, graphics, or irrelevant information.
6) Numbers are your friend
Use pieces of quantifiable information that highlight your accomplishments and track record of success. If you increase new business by 25% in the first quarter, put it on your resume. If your targeted marketing campaign generated 150,000 new leads, make sure that information makes it on to your resume.
If you aren’t currently tracking that kind of information, there’s no time like the present to begin doing so.
7) Fill in those gaps
It’s a tough time to be a job seeker. There are many people who have been unemployed for six months or longer. But just because you haven’t been employed by a company doesn’t mean you haven’t been keeping busy. If you have volunteer work or coursework you’ve been doing, list that on your resume, just above your previous position.
8) Proofread like your future depends on it
Your resume is only a snapshot of who you are as a person, but unfortunately it’s the only thing a recruiter is looking at to determine your qualifications. Stay credible with a thorough proofing (or two, or three) of your resume.
9) Keep it fresh
Every few months, take a minute to tweak and update your resume. It’s good to keep it up-to-date even if you aren’t actively job searching—you never know when you’ll need to present it for that promotion or volunteer opportunity.
10) Ask for help
Don’t be shy about asking a family member, friend, or trusted colleague to help with your resume. And if you’re seeking professional advice, don’t hesitate to contact one of the career consultants at ResumeSpice. Our team might be the resource you need to unlock your resume’s potential, contact us today.
by The ResumeSpice Team | Jun 22, 2022 | Resume Writing
So, you’re not a graphic designer. That doesn’t mean you should send in a resume that looks boring and unpolished. In fact, the look of your resume is just as important as the content for a few reasons.
If your resume is hard to read, for instance, due to narrow margins, tiny fonts, and too much text, then it’s going to wind up in the “no” pile. That’s if it even makes it into the hands of a hiring manager.
Most of today’s employers use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) in order to screen resumes and filter out the weaker candidates. These systems have a hard time reading certain graphics, images, and fonts, which is another reason why proper design and formatting is so important for your resume.
So how do you make your resume stand out, yet still make it through the ATS? Here are five easy tips to put to use:
1. Don't be afraid of white space.
When it comes to your resume, white space is your friend. You don’t want cramped quarters anywhere near your resume. Imagine if you received a resume with corner-to-corner text that was tiny, formatted in five different ways, and hard-to-read. Would you want to wade through it all, or just move onto the next resume?
If you’re like most hiring managers, it’s probably the latter, which is why white space is so important. This helps you put the spotlight on important sections, like your Work History, so hiring managers can find them quickly. Your resume is more likely to be read and to persuade the hiring manager to call you for an interview.
2. Avoid too many fonts.
There are so many fonts on hand, which makes it tempting to use too many, or a creative one. You might thing this makes you stand out. However, it can be difficult for ATS software to parse a lot of fonts and ones that look like script in particular. So don’t use several fonts and instead stick to one or two, at most. For instance, you can use one font for section headings and another for body copy.
When you’re deciding, consider fonts, like Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, or Verdana. These are effective when it comes to the ATS and also attractive and easy-to-read for the hiring manager. When you’re formatting your resume, make sure your point size is also at least 10 or more. If it’s any smaller than that, it will be difficult for the hiring manager to read when it lands in their hands.
3. Include bullet points.
Bullet points are key when it comes to your resume. These are what makes all your accomplishments and background so easy to read for the hiring manager. Since they spend such a limited time on each resume – a few seconds only – it’s important to grab their attention quickly and communicate effectively. Bullet points help you do that. Just make sure when you’re using them, you stick to around 3-6 for each job. Any more than that will make your resume appear overcrowded.
4. Bold & italicize certain areas; but don’t underline.
You should bold and italicize certain areas on your resume to make them easier to read. For instance, the Work History and Education section headers should be bolded, as should your job titles. You can then italicize the names of your past employers, or your dates of employment.
Whatever you choose, make sure it’s consistent across your whole resume. For instance, if you italicize your most recent job title, then check that all your job titles are italicized. If you decide to use all-caps for the names of your employers, then do so for all of them. The same goes for the dates of employment. If you abbreviate the months for one, then follow suit for all of employment history.
However, don’t get too heavy-handed with your use of boldface or italicizing. Also, don’t underline anything, ever. This looks unprofessional and is also difficult to read.
When you’re consistent with your approach to formatting, it makes your resume easy to read and more polished looking. It also establishes a pattern that the hiring manager can easily follow, so they can scan your resume quickly yet thoroughly. This can help set you apart from other candidates who don’t have consistently formatted resumes.
5. Use the right file type.
If you’re in a creative field, like a graphic design, then it makes sense to use software, like InDesign to create your resume. For any other field, creating your resume in MS Word is the best way to go. When you’re emailing your resume directly to a hiring manager, you can save it as a PDF and attach it that way.
If, however, you’re not sure if it will go through an ATS, then a Word Doc file is the safest way to go. Some software has a hard time parsing a PDF, which can impact your chance of getting a call for an interview. Whatever you do, don’t ever send your resume as an image file, like a .jpg.
Get help writing and designing your resume with ResumeSpice.
A strong resume is key when it comes to getting your next job. If you need help writing and formatting yours, turn to the professional resume writers at ResumeSpice. We know how to create a first-rate resume that makes the best impression possible. Simply reach out at 832.930.7378 or contact us online to get started.
by The ResumeSpice Team | Jun 15, 2022 | Resume Writing
There’s been a lot of changes in the job market during the pandemic. However, one thing that’s remained the same is the need for a solid resume. It’s your ticket into the interview process to land the job you want.
To help you create a polished and professional resume, here are some trends for 2022 to keep in mind:
Optimize for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
Good, bad, or indifferent, ATS software is here to stay. So, make sure you’re optimizing your resume to get through them. In fact, according to reports, around 75% of employers now use them during the hiring process. This helps them screen out candidates who aren’t the right fit. However, if your resume isn’t optimized for ATS software, then it won’t make it into the hands of a human – even if you’re the strongest candidate.
What do to: To optimize your resume, review the job description first. Look for relevant keywords and phrases. You can also check the company website for other verbiage that’s important to include, related to your particular industry or the job.
Once you have a list of keywords, incorporate them into your resume where it makes sense. Keep in mind, you also want it to be reader-friendly for a hiring manager, so don’t use stuff your resume full of them.
Another important area to focus on when considering ATS software is your social media profiles. The latest technology is able to pull in online information from your social profiles. To avoid any red flags, take a look at your profile on sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and others to make sure there’s no content that will make a negative impression.
Keep it simple with resume formatting.
When it comes to formatting your resume, you want to make it as easy-to-read as possible for the hiring manager. Remember, they only spend a few seconds on each resume. If yours is packed with tiny text and tight margins, then they’re going to have a hard time understanding why you’re a fit for the job.
Another reason to keep formatting simple? If you try to get fancy with graphics or the font, the ATS software won’t be able to read your resume. You can sabotage your job search efforts in the process.
What to do: Keep your resume clean and simple with plenty of white space around the margins. Don’t include any borders, images, artwork, or script-like fonts. This will ensure your resume is further optimized for any ATS that scans it.
Also, skip the functional resume fad, which is typically used to hide employment gaps. Instead, for 2022, the tried-and-tested reverse chronological resume is the way to go when you’re organizing and formatting your resume. This simply means you should list your most recent job first and go back from there.
In addition, make sure each section, such as Work History and Education, is easy to spot and scan. Your Work History is the most important section and should therefore be at the top, followed by your Education, Certifications, Specialized Skills, and Industry Associations.
Leave out unnecessary information, like an objective statement or a saying that “references are available upon request.” This simply wastes valuable space and makes your resume look dated. Other areas to skip are personal details, like your age, gender, birth date, street address, and headshot.
Don’t just talk about tasks, demonstrate results.
Today’s employers want to know about your track record in past positions. It’s why using facts, figures and any metrics is key to showing your value. A list of skills and tasks you’ve handled is boring and won’t stand out. However, when you quantify your accomplishments, it makes a more memorable impression. It also brings your background to life, so you’re not just another candidate, but a unique and compelling performer.
What to do: As you’re writing your Work History section, you should gear the content toward results, not just listing the skills you have or tasks you were responsible for. This can include anything from the size of the team you managed, how much you increased sales or improved customer retention, and the percentage by which you boosted web traffic.
This gives the hiring manager a clear picture of what you bring to the table if they hire you. It also helps to make the case as to why they should consider you over another candidate.
However, don’t include everything you’ve achieved. Instead, focus on 3-6 examples that are the most relevant for a particular position. You might need to customize and edit your resume for each position, as a result. Doing so, though, will help you to easily spotlight why you’re a strong contender for the job.
Avoid buzzwords and be straightforward.
Since hiring managers don’t spend long on a resume, it’s important that you use language that is clear and concise. This means avoiding buzzwords, cliches, and hyperbole.
What to do: Avoid vague words like “hard worker,” “strong work ethic” and “motivated team player.” These should be sidestepped because they don’t really mean anything to the hiring manager. Instead, use simple, straightforward language. Also, emphasize your strengths and accomplishments. Anyone can claim to be a “team player,” which is why it’s important to give examples of why and how you’re a strong team player, instead of simply stating it.
Ready for professional help with your resume?
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by ResumeSpice | Dec 9, 2021 | Resume Writing
Job hunting? If you’re on a tight budget or short on time, a free resume or CV builder can be an attractive option (check out the key differences between a resume and CV here).
A resume or CV builder is an interactive, online tool that lets you insert your skills and experiences into a template to generate a cohesive resume or CV. Below is a list of the top 11 free resume and CV builders to help you design your own!
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