Your resume is your first point of contact with any potential new employer – and to make a good impression, you need to make it stand out. However, some job-seekers can be so determined to craft a unique, eye-catching resume that they will leave out some of the key information that is required for a resume to make it into the call-back pile.
Before you start sending in your applications, load up your resume and make sure it includes all the necessary details that employers will be looking for – and land yourself an interview for the position of your dreams.
- Your contact information.
This seems obvious, but in an effort to streamline resume design, people can often forget this information or bury it somewhere in the body of the resume. You should include your contact information right up at the top where it will be clearly visible when your potential new employer goes to set up a second interview.
You should include a professional email address and only one contact number – it’s not required to provide both a home and a cell phone number. Your home address isn’t necessary, either.
- Job post keywords.
Many employers will use resume-scanners to filter through candidates, so it’s a good idea to include a few keywords from the job posting you’re responding to. Take care to integrate these words effectively into the body of your resume, so they don’t look like you just copied and pasted them without a second thought.
- Your past achievements.
Your accomplishments help show potential employers what you have to offer, so be sure to include some of the highlights of your career so far. This is your opportunity to show how you’ve contributed to your team, department, and company, so that prospective employers can evaluate how your previous achievements align with their needs and goals.
- Valid career history.
You want your resume to be short and to the point, so there’s no need to go into detail about the part-time job you had at the neighbourhood pizza place when you were still in high school. Keep your job experience focused on positions that show your knowledge in expertise in the area of the job posting, so that potential employers can see how valuable you could be.
Related volunteer work is also a great thing to include, as this shows your dedication to your field of employment. Numbers are also great – if you can provide evidence of the results you’ve measured through previous work, employers love to see them.
- Portfolio information.
This is your chance to show off your work. Include URLs to your LinkedIn page or a website, if you have one, with some samples of your work – websites you’ve designed, images you’ve taken, or articles you’ve written. You’ll be able to show – not tell – potential employers the skills and abilities you have offer. Just make sure that if you include links to social media, there’s nothing on there you wouldn’t want your boss to see.