Top 10 Resume Tips
1. Tailor your resume for every application. This can be tedious and time-consuming work, but it is critical to incorporate key words and phrases from the target job description into your application materials to ensure your application passes Applicant Tracking System (ATS) scans.
2. Ensure every bullet point is results-oriented. Speak to your accomplishments, achievements, and results instead of tasks. Front-load the sentence by positioning the results first.
3. Remember it’s a marketing document. Your resume need not list every job you’ve ever had or task you’ve performed. Include your most relevant experience and accomplishments that speak to your qualifications for the specific job description you’re targeting.
4. Keep it to one page. Although the one-page rule doesn’t apply to every candidate, you do want to be as concise and succinct as possible.
5. Be consistent. Keep sentence construction, formatting, and punctuation consistent throughout the entire document. Your current role should be written in present tense, while all former experience should be past tense. Numbers, amounts, and dates should all be written in consistent format.
6. Include quantified and measurable information. Numbers jump off the page and illustrate the scope of your impact. Even if you don’t work with numbers, you may be able to include figures to demonstrate range, frequency, or growth.
7. Keep it simple. Ensure your resume is easily parsed by ATS software and easy to read at-a-glance by keeping your formatting straightforward.
8. Use power verbs. Swap words and phrases like “assisted,” “led,” and “responsible for” for more compelling action verbs that convey impact.
9. Ensure your job headings are complete and consistent. They should include your title, company name, location, and the months/years of your tenure. Apply consistent formatting to these headings throughout the document.
10. Proofread. Always run a spell-check and proofread for grammar and punctuation prior to submitting.
