Perhaps the best kept secret about resume writing is that a resume won’t get you a job. What it might get you is an interview. Likewise, you should write your resume with this goal in mind. Once you get your foot in the door you can focus your sights on demonstrating you’re the right fit for the position in question. For now, however, you just want to get the attention of the hiring manager for long enough to pick up the phone and give you a call. So how can you give yourself the best shot at being noticed?
Ditch the Objective
In recent years, the objective section of resumes has come to be regarded as largely redundant and unnecessary. Hiring managers know that at the end of the day your objective is to get a job. No point in waxing poetic about your lofty long-term career goals when you could devote that space to outlining your achievements and qualifications instead.
Mind Your Design
Remember: You want to capture the eye of the hiring manger with your resume. That’s going to be far more difficult to do if it’s difficult to read or otherwise aesthetically offensive. Stick to a standard font (Times New Roman, Arial, etc.) and just one or two point sizes (one for headings, and another for details). Utilize bullet points to split information into easily digestible segments. Simplify whenever possible. Generally speaking, a resume should fit on a single page. It’s okay to have a two page resume, but it’s somewhat undesirable to have a one and a half page resume. If you can’t fill two pages, cut it down to one.
Tailor Your Resume
A single one-size-fits-all resume is unlikely to net you great results. Rather, you should always be open to making adjustments to your resume in accordance with the position you’re applying for. Keep a document on hand of spare resume “chunks” that you can swap in and out of your resume at will. If one position is more service oriented, include additional information about your volunteer experience. If another focuses more on customer service, you might include a section about your experience working at the IT help desk in college. A resume is a living document, not a static record of your job experience.
Get Specific
Your resume should include concrete details about your achievements whenever possible. Hiring managers love to see things like statistics and percentages that illuminate the extent of your experience. You didn’t just work with a team to achieve weekly sales goals at a major insurance vendor; you grew your sales by a full 10% in just one year. Take care to outline your accomplishments as well as your experience.
At CSS we’ve been connecting qualified candidates with companies in need of new talent for over two decades. We can assist you in perfecting your resume to increase your likelihood of getting that dream interview. Give us a call today to speak with one of our staffing specialists, or browse all of our job listings online today.