Lose the clutter!
If a hiring manager only scans a resume, then it’s up to the applicant to prepare a resume that grabs their attention. This isn’t all that difficult. Hiring managers are looking for applicants that have qualifications that match their job requirements. All you need to do is research jobs of interest, list the requirements, and write and produce your resume to demonstrate your desirability.
In reality, applicants find this process anything but simple.
Susan has created a three-page resume that
traces all her credentials back to college. But do all the credentials
translate to qualifications for the positions of interest? Anything that
doesn’t relate is clutter; since clutter distracts the hiring manager
from the important credentials that qualify you for the job, eliminate
all clutter.
For starters, begin with a professional summary that
tells the hiring manager who you are and why they should be interested.
This is a good place to consolidate your “required knowledge” and save
some space.
Employers have problems to solve and they want to know that you can solve them.
Begin each work experience with a bullet that details the
primary responsibility, describes the type of organization worked for,
and the scope of responsibilities. Follow with specifics on what problems
were solved, how you solved them, and the results. What did you do
differently that no one else did? As a rule of thumb, your most recent
positions should be the longest and prior experiences the shortest.
Appearance is important; Susan should set her page
margins at one-inch all around and select font sizes between 11- to
12-point. Next, she should decide what to emphasize with bold and
uppercase. In Susan’s experience, do the organizations, cities, states,
and dates merit bold while the job titles have no focus? Thin out other
areas. References belong on a separate sheet and used at the job
interview. Include college honors in the education section and list other
awards separately if you feel they make you a more qualified candidate;
or, integrate them into the appropriate work experience. Job-related
training could be organized and included as a sub “professional
development” under the education section; weed out the training that has
most importance.
Always remember your resume reflects your written communication skills. Resume sentences purposely lack pronouns but still need punctuation. Avoid simple mistakes such as using both a dollar ($) sign and the word dollars.
Lastly, take a long and critical look at your resume. Resume writing is a
form of writing and needs to be edited, revised, and edited. Do the job
well and you’re sure to catch an employer’s eye.
