Clarity and consistency. These
seem like simple concepts, but they're missed astonishingly often. Every
section of your resume and the way you set it up needs to be clear, so
key information can be found easily. Look at your resume as if it were
the first time you were seeing it. Can you quickly identify your
organizations, job titles and time periods worked? Don't over-complicate
the style by using a multitude of fonts, different bullet types and
varied tabs and indentations. Each section should follow the last in
terms of a general format and style. Consistency is extremely important.
Expand. If
you think it's enough to drop in the language of your formal job
descriptions at work, it's not. Once a person decides they like what
they see overall and to read your resume in more detail, your bullets
will make a big difference. Tell them exactly what you do in your
bullets. If the results of what you do aren't readily apparent, question
what you do or did. In other words, what would you ask yourself in an
interview to expand upon your resume? Who do you write reports for and
what do they use the information for? What departments do you work with
on a daily basis? Have you made recommendations that have been used by
your company?
Write well. It's
a dead-end street if you are using cliché phrases, making grammatical
or spelling mistakes or writing poorly. Employers read a lot of resumes
and they do not like reading the same words and phrases over and over
again. Be unique by putting thought into your document. Paraphrase if
you've done something similar in a past position. Don't fall into the
trap of looking the same as everyone else. Read over your work and have
friends do so, too. Mistakes will mark the end of your application
process.
Length. Though it's
routinely discouraged, people still believe that a resume can be more
than two pages if they have more information to add. Don't fall victim
to this grave mistake. In general, your resume should not creep past one
page if you have less than 10 years of experience. It should not go
past two pages if you have 10 or more years. The typical exceptions to
this rule are when you apply to federal government roles, or if you are a
professor or medical doctor. In order to keep it to one or two pages,
you must read through it critically. Are you repeating tasks across job
descriptions where unnecessary? Are you using superfluous words? Is
what's in there relevant to the jobs you're applying to, or is some of
it unnecessary?
Check your resume in different formats, such
as PDF or other formats. You may think it's on two pages, but then when
you send it to someone, it's on to a third page. Try sending it to
yourself and opening it to be sure.
While
these steps won't guarantee you an interview, they will get you much
closer to one. When you don't follow these basic guidelines, you risk
your application being disregarded completely, no matter who you know in
the organization. Some extra care and attention can go a long way to
helping you get in the door for an interview.
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