How Important Is Having a Really Good Resume?

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It’s almost 2018. You don’t need a resume anymore, right? Absolutely wrong. While a lot has changed in the world of job searching, a resume is more important than ever. With so many candidates competing for the same jobs, a strong resume is your ticket to standing out to a hiring manager.

But what do hiring managers want to see on a resume? Here are some tips from our professional resume writers to help you:

Professionalism.

You can have the most experience in the world, but if your resume is poorly formatted with tons of typos, you’re not going to get very far with a hiring manager. That’s why it’s important to follow standard writing and formatting guidelines (e.g. including lots of white space, a professional font type, bulleted lists and correct grammar) to put your best foot forward.

The right experience.

If your resume looks professional at first glance, then a hiring manager will keep reading. What are they looking to see? First and foremost, they want to know you’re qualified for the job. If they need someone with 10 years of management experience and you’re clearly entry-level, you’re not going to get an interview, no matter how well-written and perfectly formatted your resume is. 

A customized resume.

Hiring managers also want to know what you can do for them. That’s why a cookie cutter resume you send out to every employer isn’t going to be effective. Instead, customize your resume to every unique opportunity. Make sure you’re addressing the specific company’s needs – using keywords from their job posting – and describing how your experience is a fit for them.

A proven track record.

Ok, so you clearly have the right skills and experience to do the job. But what value can you really bring to the table? That’s another aspect a hiring manager will be looking for. And that’s also why it’s so important to promote your accomplishments and results, rather than just listing about tasks and responsibilities.

So wherever possible, quantify your achievements. For instance, instead of stating that you “ordered office supplies” in your role as office manager, focus on the fact that you “Renegotiated and reduced ABC Company’s office supply contract cost by 10%.” These are the kinds of facts and figures hiring managers most want to see.

Hiring managers screen resumes for 6-15 seconds That’s all the time you have to impress them. But when you follow the tips above, you’ll have a much better chance of getting noticed – and getting a call for an interview.

If you’d like more help with your resume, contact the resume experts at ResumeSpice. Call us today at 832.930.7378 to learn more or get started with one of our professional resume writers.