Resume Tips Designed to Get Your Resume Read and Noticed

Your resume is your first introduction to the hiring manager and needs to make a good impression. A poorly written resume can get you assigned to the circular bin without a second thought. Make a good first impression and score more interviews by following these resume tips for writing an effective resume.

Writing a Resume, Tips for Getting Your Resume Read:

Artists, marketers, and design professionals need to be creative in designing their resumes. The rest of us should be more conservative. You hear plenty of stories about people who went crazy with their resume and got the job, but these are not the norm. Most hiring managers appreciate the conservative styles that they expect from a job candidate.

For most people, the objective is to get a job, and there is very little way to write a compelling objective. Instead, start with a “Career Summary” that grabs attention and identifies why you are the right person for this job.

Your resume has only seconds to get the hiring managers attention and garner a more thorough reading. Choose a well-organized format that is easy to scan.

This is one of the most important resume tips in today’s computerized world. Large companies receive thousands of resumes and even the smaller companies need help sorting through the resumes to find the right candidates. Most hiring managers now search through resumes digitally, looking for the keywords they have identified as important.

Hiring managers are usually looking for candidates that can solve a problem or satisfy a need within the company. Point out how you have find a solution to the same problems in your past positions.

Realize that your resume is a marketing document that is designed to sell your own abilities and skills. Include a short bio, then move on to your strengths and accomplishments.

Effective titles allow your resume to be scanned effectively by drawing the eye to the most important information. Use descriptive titles that give a good idea about your work experience. For example, “Marketing Department” does a poor job of describing your past work experience. Instead, use your job title and a short description of your position. “Wrote Advertising Copy Specializing in…” is more effective, but keep it short.

Most resume building tips websites begin with a template; but a generic template that doesn’t highlight the most important information may do more harm than good. Most resumes are scanned for only a few seconds before a decision is made to act or discard. Lead with the most important information at the top of the resume and in each section. Make it easy to find so it won’t be overlooked.

All the resume writing tips in the world won’t help you if your resume is full of errors. A resume full of grammatical mistakes and misspellings will make a poor impression. If necessary, hire an editor or use an online grammatical program to make sure your resume is free of errors and makes a good impression for you.

Resume tips 2017 tend to focus on writing the resume and then uploading it to the databases; however, if you are currently unemployed, make networking and handing out resumes into a full-time job. Most upper-level positions are filled through networking, so use your contacts productively to contact everyone you know who may have a position for you or know someone who might.

1. Choose a Conservative Style
2. Forget the “Objective” and Focus on your Career.
3. Make Your Resume Scan-able
   • Use wide margins and clean type for easy readability. Bring attention to important points with clear headings.
   • Guide the reader to the important details with bold or italic typeface, but use it sparingly.
   • Use bullet points to avert attention to your accomplishments and other important details.
4. Include the right keywords
   • Identify the keywords most important in your desired position.
   • Use the same keywords found in the job description and job advertisements.
   • Most keywords are phrases including a noun.
   • Avoid lists of keywords, instead use them naturally throughout your resume.
5. Identify Your Accomplishments in Each Position
   • For each position, include a short job description, focus on your accomplishments.
   • Include the benefits to your employer.
   • Be specific and avoid generic descriptions of the positions.
6. Create a Marketing Document that Sells You
   • Make emphasis on those achievements that make you the right person for the position.
   • Avoid general statements such as “increased sales,” instead give specifics: “increased sales by 25 percent over a 2-year period.”
7. Use Effective Titles
8. Start with the Most Important Information
9. Proofread It Several Times.
10. Networking is Important
    • Contact your own business contacts, people you’ve worked with in the past.
    • Touch base with vendors and sales representatives you’ve worked with in the past and ask about positions available in their network.
    • Contact people from alma mater of your choice who may be in a position to hire or who is in a position similar to your target job. Ask for insights and referrals.

Having an effective resume greatly improves your chances of getting an interview and ultimately the job. Don’t waste your time distributing a resume that will not do the job. If you need help writing your resume, Resumes Land is available 24/7 to help you write and edit this most important communication tool.