Resumes stimulate lots of conversation amongst recruitment consultants and hiring managers alike. Many like resumes, many dislike them. One thing is for certain, whether you think resumes are good, bad or ugly, resumes still serve a critical role in securing you an invite to interview.
It’s 2017, and time to dust off those old resumes, grab a coffee and sit down to write or refresh your resume. We know this is easier said than done.
We see resumes in all shapes, sizes, colours and file formats. After speaking with our experienced consultants, I have compiled this list of useful tips.
Firstly put yourself in the shoes of the person who will be reading your resume, and remember this person has the intent of hiring you. What are they looking for? What do they want to read? They want to know your previous experience, achievements, qualifications and career objective; they don’t necessarily want to know about your fantastic interpersonal skills and communication skills.
“Keep it simple”
In order to write a professional resume you will want to keep it simple. In your opening paragraph outline your career objective, and how the position you are applying for will help you achieve your career goals. Market yourself to the organisation.
Do’s
- Make it easy to read
- Include what you’ve done and how that relates to what you want to be doing
- Include your career summary
- Focus on specific achievements within your individual roles, not just your responsibilities
- Every job is different, change your resume depending on the position for which you are applying for
- Save in .doc or .pdf file formats
- Update regularly – you aren’t the same person with the same skills you had last year!
Don’ts
- Don’t talk in the third person; your resume is a personal document
- Don’t rely on spellcheck!
- Don’t use fluffy intros – get to the point
Still stuck? Download this professional resume template.
Once you have created or modified your existing resume, register with us here.
