Having a good resume is important. Not only does it build a good reputation but also increases your chances of landing the job. Plus resumes will always create a good first impression and first impressions are very important. However if you think your resume is good and it still hasn’t helped you land any good jobs, you might want to rethink this over and probably make a couple of changes in your resume. So without further delay let us reveal to you some of the places where you could be going wrong in your resume and how you can change them.
Small Resume Changes that help you get Noticed:
1. Don’t put any objective:
Resume objectives will never help you in any way and that is something you should know about right away. Not only will they make you feel backward and way behind during this point but it will make you look selfish. It will look as if you are simply interested in serving your own interests instead of serving what your clients wants out of you. Make sure your resume focuses only on your skills, talents, education and personal experiences.
2. Focus on the accomplishments:
It is important to pay attention to the accomplishments you have made so far instead of simply staring at the job duties. Most job seekers make the huge mistake of jotting down all those points where they have achieved something. They actually forget to mention and explain how they got there and what helped them succeed. This definitely acts against them. In short, you have to write your resume in such a way so that you can show you have worked hard. It should explain your achievements.
3. A profile section is a must:
A third thing that matters a lot is a profile section. It should be on top of the resume and is an absolute must. Most profile sections or even summaries have replaced the recent day objectives on top of the present day resumes. A profile could be just a quick list of all the highlights which consists of your strengths, weaknesses and all experiences you have had so far. Not just that, a well written profile or summary will also provide some framing and also prepare you for the rest.
4. Remove all big chunks of text:
You need to remove all extra chunks of text from your resume. It is not needed. Plus it is a mistake you are making. If your resume already contains large chunks of text instead of bullet points, there is a chance of losing all your chances of nailing that job. What managers want to do is simply browse through your resume, see what you are capable of and then simply move on to the next. So make sure you have all information about your past experiences well organized and arranged in bullet points instead of paragraphs.
5. Reduce it:
Reduce the length if you have not already. There are some people whose resumes are way too long. That does not create a good impression. You can make this change and thank us later. If your resume is longer than a page and a half, you definitely have to reduce the length. If there are ways in which you can shorten the paragraphs, then do so. If you think there is a lot of stuff you need to mention, feel free to do so but try not to make that longer than 2 pages. Plus if you are a recent grad, then one page is more than enough.
6. Remove those points that don’t help:
Another thing you could definitely do is get rid of all those points that don’t help or strengthen your candidancy in any way. You don’t have to waste time and enlist all those job duties that are not going to help you. If it is boring and unnecessary, don’t mention it. Similarly, there is no need for you to include that kind of summer job you got eight years ago and how it helped you. All of that is definitely not needed. You can skip that and jump to all the important points that have made you who you are. Always remember that your resume is a marketing document.
7. Be thoughtful:
It is also important to be thoughtful when you are jotting something down. Just because you are going to keep things short and mention all the important points, doesn’t mean you don’t have to be thoughtful. The person who will be going through your resume is going to be human just like yourself. So don’t make the mistake of mentioning something that is not very humble or thoughtful. You should be kind to the person who is going to check your resume. Don’t mention any gimmicks or inflated descriptions.
8. Create a separate skills section:
You should also keep a separate section where you can mention all your skills. Place all your important skills and how talented you are. If you have achieved something through this at work, make it a point to mention that as well. You should highlight all your skills in the context of work but if you pull them down in a couple of sections, it won’t really hurt.
9. Keep some white space left:
Also make it a point to leave some white spaces. When you leave some breathing room, it always gets better. There are different amounts of white space that can show and tell the reader that this happens to be a different section or emphasize the importance of something. This includes your name or skills. Plus it will make the document look less overwhelming.
10. Be consistent:
Always remember to stay consistent when you are writing your resume. People tend to get quite innovative and in the process they try to mention all important work experiences inside one page. That is okay but makes sure that no matter in which way you are getting it done; you have to maintain the same format throughout the document. Consistency will always help with skimming and if the recruiter suddenly wants to go back or something, he will know where to look.
11. Use digits:
Digits are also quite helpful when it comes to writing resumes. Instead of using bullet points, you may use numbers while jotting down your qualifications. It will help the recruiters understand the scope of the work better. Plus when you use digits, the resume tends to look much more neat and organized.
12. Make some things obvious:
It is also important to make a couple of things obvious. There is nothing worse than having to make the recruiter go through the task of understanding and searching for clues so that he can finally realize what you really want. There is no need to make things harder by complicating the resume. Therefore it would be our advice to go ahead and make things obvious in your resume. Begin your resume with something that will make things easier for them and will also make sense to them. Simple!
13. Keep dates and locations to the right:
This point will actually help your resume look neat and tidy. It will create a good impression in front of the manager. Whenever you feel like a date or the location needs to mention, make it a point to place it on the right hand side. Even other bits of information such as the name of the company, location and the dates of employment will have to be placed on the right. On most of the word processes, you should make it a point to choose the right tab. That would always help you make a good resume.
14. Do not try to justify your resume:
Our final point to you is simply stop trying to justify your resume. That will also make your resume look good. Don’t make it hard for your reader to understand your text. Plus you don’t have to use over the top techniques such as using different fonts for each sentence or using fancy colours or borders around your resume. You don’t have to increase and decrease the size at different places either. All of this makes your resume over done and that is something we would request you to avoid.
This completes our top list. We have mentioned all the changes you need to make in your resume in order to get to the top and nail the job you have always wanted. If you haven’t tried these tips, try it and you will definitely reap the benefits. Plus when you are called for the interview, speak whats on your mind and be honest. If you can do all of these, the job is going to be yours. On that note, good luck and here’s hoping that you find both success and happiness in what you do.
