At people2people, I’ve read a truckload of resumes, some great, some not so great and some, well to be honest, a little bit rubbish! I’ve been asked a few times by job seekers how they can make their resume stand out and to assist them with their job applications. So to help you out, as a result of some research, I have listed some tips on how you can ‘up your resume game’.
1. Keep it consistent
When you’re listing your education, experience and responsibilities of your different roles, please use the same bullet points all the way through! If you’re using a dash here, a star over there and a unicorn somewhere else, it’s just not going to make sense (no, I haven’t actually come across unicorn bullet points before, but hey, it could happen).
2. Keep to the point
Avoid writing longwinded paragraphs and risk getting off the track in your resume. Everybody loves efficiency, so it’s best to keep to the point. Bullet points are a great idea, but don’t fill your resume with them either!
3. Choose your referees wisely
Recruiters and employers seek references from people to whom you have reported. Not your grandma, your childhood best friend or your dog. In other words, personal referees aren’t relevant. Choose your referees wisely. It’s also essential you have asked their permission to act as a referee for you, so that it doesn’t come as a complete surprise when they get the call.
4. Sharing is caring
I’ve seen a few resumes which are just a little too succinct and have very limited details. Yes I did say to keep it to the point, but I didn’t mean to not give any information at all. It pays to be a little more descriptive than a few one word bullet points. Read your resume as if you are a potential employer or recruiter.
5. Forget the graphics
I convert a lot of resumes during my day, and it’s always a nightmare when there are fancy borders, graphics or pictures in the mix! This only really does apply to those who are in the graphic design market, and they tend to provide a separate portfolio. Resumes are professional documents. It’s also a good idea to choose a professional font like Arial or Calibri. Try out these tips to improve your resume, they will assist you in your quest to ‘stand out’ and secure that interview.
