Do you wonder whether you really need a professional looking resume? Well, the answer is a resounding yes.
You really do want a professional resume, but what many experts do not say is that these documents account for just a small part of the hiring decision. They are the first step of the interview process and therefore they need to be crisp marketing documents.
It takes a lot to impress a tough potential employer. The objective is to create an effective document that contains no tricks or shortcuts.
Here are some tips to create a professional resume that will stand out from the rest.
It is simple to review.
The resume contains little white space and is an even two pages long. This showcases your extensive experience without overwhelming the reader. Everything is nicely organized: spacing is appropriate, company names are in bold, roles are italicized and job details are arranged using bullets. Most importantly, there are no mistakes anywhere. Employers prefer that the font is not elaborate. We will not comment on the topic of Helvetica compared to Georgia font selection, however it must always be simple and easy to read on both a computer and on paper.
It tells an interesting job success tale.
A resume tells a story of the candidate’s professional journey. There are no information gaps on a professional resume. From top to bottom, there is a definite chronology of experiences. In just a few seconds, employers should be able to observe a clear pattern of the candidate’s professional growth. The chronological list of professional history is sequenced by date, with the latest position in the top in order to demonstrate a very clear progression toward more executive roles and responsibilities.
Focus on accomplishments, not responsibilities.
Hiring managers are not interested in reading what someone copied and pasted from the first job description listing. What companies really want to know is whether you’re an above average candidate who is capable of producing quantifiable results. It is always better to highlight your responsibilities by describing your most noteworthy achievements.
Real world cases:
Rather than “Expanded operations for international markets,” write “Expanded operations to eight new counties in the Midwest region.”
Rather than “Led sales and marketing team,” write “Supervised marketing and sales team and produced 27 percent annual growth while just enlarging the funding by 7.5%.”
Just the facts.
When an employer reviews a resume there should never be discrepancies that raise a red flag in their mind. Everything appears credible and the experiences aren’t fabricated. Better still, the professional resume has links to the person’s LinkedIn URL and professional web page, which includes a portfolio of her work. This makes it simpler for employers to verify the work history, which then makes the candidate look like an honest individual.
What is the best advice? Always tell the truth on your resume.
While significant accomplishments and recognizable business names will provide you an advantage, make no mistake: Employers will absolutely complete a background check and if they find out that you lied about something, your resume will not advance further.
No more cliché phrases, please.
Frequently used adjectives such as creative, hard-working, results-driven, excellent communicator or team player should be avoided when possible. Adding any of these overused terms will make a hiring manager gloss over your resume. Skip the common descriptors and overused phrases and go with action verbs instead.
Such as executive resume samples.
Rather than “excellent communicator,” state “Presented at customer meetings and talked at industry recruiting events.”
Instead of “highly inventive,” state “Designed and executed a new worldwide program monitoring platform.”
Finally, avoid the HR black hole and get an introduction.
Not everybody will have a connection with someone at their target business, but knowing somebody who can make an introduction is the best way to get an hiring manager’s attention.
The fact that when your professional resume comes via a recommendation by a respected colleague, it causes that person to want to know more about your background.
Sending your resume everywhere will not get you a job. That may sound discouraging, but here is the truth: you need to go out of the way to get a warm introduction if at all possible. If you don’t have a connection at the hiring company, do some research and discover a friend who knows somebody with a connection. Then, ask your possible referral for a call.
As soon as you’ve established a real relationship, tell them about the job post you are considering and ask if they could recommend you. If it’s possible to make this happen, then your resume will likely get read.
