But, I have over 10 years of experience and a degree.
Most of us have struggled at some point with landing a new career or earning a promotion. In many cases, we aren’t the problem, it’s our resume. The quality and effectiveness of your resume determine whether you will make it past the resume bots, be invited to an interview, or be offered a position.
The three most important components of a resume are:
1) design and presentation,
2) content, and
3) keywords.
Design – A resume should be straightforward. It should be inviting, attractive, and professional. This determination is made within just a few seconds by recruiters or hiring managers. Here’s what a resume should look like:
- Ideally one page (include only relevant, most recent details)
- Two-page resumes are acceptable for candidates at the senior level
- Properly formatted with lots of white space to ensure it is clean and uncluttered
- Evenly-set margins on all four sides of the document
- Use of 4-8 bullets per job
- Consistent line spacing
- Legible and professional font
- Clear section headings
- No photographs/graphics (for most industries)
Whether you are seeking a career in a creative industry or formal industry; you can consider adding a little color or a personalized touch. However, be sure it is professional and legible. For careers in the creative industry such as graphic designer, marketing professional, or web developer, it is appropriate to add colors to show your enthusiasm. For careers in formal industries such as law, politics, accounting, or medicine, you should stick to darker colors like navy blue, burgundy, or dark green, if any color at all.
Content – The purpose of your resume is to market you to potential employers and highlight your qualifications in the most concise way possible. It should provide an overview or summary of your professional qualifications, including your relevant, most recent work experience. A resume is not a complete transcript of every job you have held unless every position is reasonably recent and relevant to the position you are applying for. It is not a legal document, so you are not obligated to list every job you’ve held, however, you should keep a master list of your previous jobs handy for your reference.
Typically, a resume should include the following sections:
- Header
- Name
- Location (City, State) – listing your full address is unnecessary and
opens you up to privacy and discrimination concerns
- Email Address – ensure it is a professional email address
Keywords – Most employers use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to screen candidates for jobs. Using keywords in a resume is extremely important and ensures your resume is ATS-compatible. Resume keywords are words related to the particular skills or requirements of a specific job position. Keywords are also the abilities, knowledge, and values that a recruiter is looking for in a candidate.
What is an ATS?
An ATS is human resources software that manages the recruitment process for employers. The ATS divides the resume into sections (e.g. Professional Experience, Education, Skills, and Certifications). Then it searches for specific keywords and qualifications to determine whether your resume matches the job description. Improper formatting, lack of keyword usage, and irrelevant content can all affect the ATS compatibility of your resume.
If you are interested in receiving a free resume review or would like to browse our career services, please visit www.prettyresumes.com.
Additional Resource: Free Resume Writing Worksheet www.prettyresumes.com/resume-worksheet
