Whether you’re embarking on a job search or need to revamp and refresh your efforts, it’s important that your resume is updated and formatted in a way to present your best self.
This article compiles several elements that can help you craft a strong and beautiful resume.
The Big Picture
When creating your resume, be sure that it is clear, concise, and relevant. This should be your guiding focus. Everything from here on will support your efforts to create a resume that is clear, concise, and relevant.
What to Include in Your Resume
Keep it Short & Simple
While you may have a lot to say, the resume should not include everything in your work history. The idea is to keep your resume simple, creating a highlight reel of your experience and strengths.
Demonstrate Your Results
Just because your resume should be short (two pages – max – or less) doesn’t mean you should hold back the amazing work you’ve done. You can demonstrate your results with simple facts and figures that include quantitative and qualitative results so hiring managers can easily see your accomplishments.
Ditch Old Job Titles
If you’re a seasoned worker, you may have many jobs in the same type of field. In this case, only highlight work experience that is most relevant, and you can put an endnote of other places of employment without going into much detail.
Highlight Transferable Skills
Transferable skills are ones that are desirable in nearly any industry and company. Within your work experience and skills, be sure to include skills that you have that can benefit any company, especially the one you’re applying to.
Keep Out Your Hobbies
While company culture is important, let your coworkers get to know off paper. The only time you may want to include hobbies in your resume is if it directly shows why you would be the best fit for the job. Even still, this may be better placed in a cover letter that tells a compelling story about the connection between your interests and professional goals.
Design Elements Important to Keep in Mind
Fonts & Sizes
There are some fonts that are easiest to read and most accepted by software. It’s best to use:
- Arial
- Cambria
- Calibri
- Helvetica
- Times New Roman
- Bookman Old Style
When it comes to sizing, keep the body of your resume at a 10- or 12-point size. Headings can be slightly larger and can be bold, underlined, or italic. Otherwise, keep design elements to a minimum.
Colors
In following the advice above, keep it simple. It’s not an effective strategy to use colors to stand out from the pool of applicants. If you absolutely can’t resist, darker colors like navy blue or maroon may be a better choice.
Format for Easy Reading
When formatting your resume, break it up naturally:
- Heading
- Objective
- Education
- Work Experience
- Skills & Strengths
- Accomplishments
This will make it easy for hiring managers to look for the information that’s pressing to them right away. If they can’t find it right away, they might just toss it aside. It’s understood that most hiring managers spend less than thirty seconds deciding whether a resume is worth a deeper look.
Reach Out if You Need Help
The resume is quite a significant document, and while it can be intimidating, it doesn’t have to be. Follow these tips and if you’re still unsure, consider reaching out to a recruiting firm for their advice.
Find a Promising Job with Help From the Pros
If you have your resume buttoned up but need help finding the right job for your career goals, contact Axiom Staffing Group. You can also reach out to them if you need help making your resume eye-catching and informative.
