Your resume is the initial impression to hiring managers and it should be memorable and this document is your chance to stand out from the crowd of job seekers. Hiring managers need your resume to be exactly what they’re looking for. It is also a quick snapshot of who you are as a candidate. You’re an interesting and incredible person, so your resume should reflect that.
Include a summary statement
Picture this: you’ve got 150 resumes sitting on your desk and two weeks to fill a position; your skim reading abilities are about to get a workout. When it comes to writing a resume, you want it to be a showstopper that the hiring manager just cannot pass on, but how do you do that?
Allow us to introduce the summary statement. This should be short—no more than one or two sentences long—and should highlight how you’re going to help your future employer succeed through your unique set of skills and experience.
One thing to keep in mind when writing these summaries is that they need to be customised for each job application, so don’t copy and paste them from one application to another- trust us, it’s obvious!
Be specific about your skills and accomplishments.
I work well in both a team and on solo projects- YAWN!
I am results driven- Snooze!
I have a strong attention to detail- Sorry, we just fell asleep!
These skills are generic and boring, and chances are, they make common appearances on the resumes in pile.
It’s time you quantified your accomplishments. You can’t just say that you’re a “hard worker,” or that you have “excellent communication skills.” To stand out, you need to quantify those claims with specific examples of when those skills were put to use.
I worked as a brand coordinator at ABC Widgets and was able to increase sales by 17% through targeted email marketing campaigns and social media engagement- sounds better, right?
Use percentages and dollar amounts whenever possible. If an employer asks for more information about your work experience, don’t just give them generalities like “I was responsible for achieving goals related to…” Instead, provide concrete numbers in terms of how much money has been made or how many people were affected by your efforts; did you grow the sales arm of your business by 25%? Put that in, girlfriend! Managed a team of 15 people? You best believe you’re gonna put that in, too!
So what?
Think about how many resumes the person reading yours will make their way through- it’s probably a lot!
So, make their job easy for them and underneath each work experience (where you’ve outlined your position and responsibilities), add in a ‘So what’ paragraph beneath. This gives you an opportunity to tell the hiring manager what you learned from this position and how you can bring these skills into this new role.
Check out this example to give you some inspo:
Fancy-Pants Content Agency 2015-2018
National Advertising Coordinator
Responsibilities:
- Support for all advertising across print and digital for the national sales team.
- National point-of-contact for all integration and implementation for the magazine and website properties.
- Managed large-scale advertising initiatives including photoshoots, domestic travel and filming schedules and competitions.
- Gatekeeper of all integrated and commercial campaigns from a digital perspective for the Fancy-Pants site.
So what? These roles required multiple stakeholder management across the business both internally and externally. I also was entrusted with ensuring Fancy-Pants remained on brand from a commercial perspective, whilst working to contribute to an annual budget of $12M. Top clients I worked on throughout this role included X, Y and Z
Tailor the job experience to the job you’re applying for.
We know you’re going to be upset up this one, but it’s true!
You should tailor every resume to each job you apply for. Yes, we know this means extra work, but think QUALITY over QUANTITY. We’ve all been on Seek applying for jobs like we’re swiping through Tinder, but that won’t cut it.
The job description is literally a cheat sheet of what the employer is looking for in a candidate, so why are you ignoring it? Take time to pull out aspects of the role and how your experience, skills and qualities make you the perfect fit.
Keep it simple.
Use a font that’s easy to read and pick a simple. The last think you want is the reader spending more time deciphering the font than reading your resume.
Don’t add unnecessary bells and whistles like bolding, italics or excessive colour palettes unless you think the job calls for it. If you’re struggling with where to cut back on design elements, ask yourself: “Will this help me get the job?” If not, leave it out of the final product!
Canva is a great resource available to help you make your resume look fancy but not too over the top.
Make sure your name is prominent at the top.
Honey, your name is the most important piece of information on your resume so make it prominent! Be sure it’s large enough that it stands out among all other text on your page. This goes for your first name as well as any titles or special qualifications you may have, such as “certified hula hoopist” or “prior experience with finding the toughest paper jams in the printer”
The best resume is the one that sticks with you—one that makes it easy to remember who you are and why you’re a great candidate for the job. We hope these resume tips help and you’re on your way to the job we know you deserve!
