The Biggest Dos and Don’ts of Resume Writing

The Biggest Dos and Don’ts of Resume Writing

As the job market is incredibly competitive, you may be searching for resume suggestions which will help you write a professional resume which will increase your chances of being offered an interview for your dream job. As many job listings attract hundreds of highly qualified candidates it’s crucial to create a resume which highlights your skills, experience and passion. To discover handy tips for a resume, simply continue reading to learn some valuable advice on writing a compelling, interesting resume. 

Do customize your resume for each job 

If you plan on applying for multiple jobs in a short space of time you may be tempted to send the same exact resume to each company. However, generic resumes are unlikely to impress HR managers as they’re looking for job applicants who show initiative and are genuinely interested in working for their company.

So if you want to send the best resume to potential employers, ensure to alter your resume to appeal to each company. As even in the same industry, different companies will be looking for different skills and personality traits. For example, one company may be looking for an employe who has works well in a team and has strong communication skills, while another company may be searching for an applicant who is an independent worker. If you’re searching for resume writing tips, try to think about what each company is looking for in a new employee. 

Do highlight relevant experience

When HR managers read through resumes, they are searching for applicants who boast relevant experience. So ensure to highlight any relevant experience which you may have. As an example, if you’re applying for a position with a finance company, you may want to highlight your professional internships with well known companies in the finance industry. Alternatively, if you’re a health practitioner you may want to mention the year which you spent volunteering abroad as a doctor in a third world country on your resume. 

Just be careful to avoid listing experience which isn’t related to a position that you’re applying for. As an example if you’re applying for a position at a law firm, there is no need to talk about your time waiting tables at restaurant while you studied at law school. As a law firm won’t be interested in any entry level positions which you may have worked during your college years. 

When you’re making a resume, one of your goals should be to convince HR managers that you already possess the skills and experience that they’re searching for. As businesses prefer to hire individuals who require little training and can immediately fulfil all of their duties without any issues. 

Do optimize your resume for bots

In order to increase your chances of having your resume read by an HR manager, it’s important to optimize your resume so that it passes companies’ applicant tracking systems which use resume filtering bots to delete resumes from under qualified applicants. It’s becoming more and more common for businesses to use applicant tracking systems to sort through their resumes. Especially as some job listings will attract hundreds of resumes. 

The best way to optimize your resume for filtering bots is to use key words that filtering bots may be searching for in your resume. As an example, filtering bots may be programmed to search for resumes which feature the word college, manager, leadership or programming. So it’s well worth thinking about the keywords which HR managers may be searching for in order to increase your chances of being offered an interview for your desired job position. Think about the qualifications, experience and traits that HR managers may be looking for. 

Also make sure to avoid placing your contact information in the header or footer of your resume. As resume bots search the text of resumes for contact information and if your contact information is hidden in the header or footer of your resume, you may not receive an invitation to interview for your chosen job position. 

Don’t write a resume that is longer than one page

If you want to write a resume with no experience one of the worst mistakes which you can make is to write a lengthy resume which is several pages long. As HR managers have countless resumes to read through and don’t have the time to read through lengthy resumes. A key advantage of writing a one page resume is that you’ll only have room to include relevant skills, work experience and qualifications on your resume. Information which tell HR managers whether or not you’re suited to the position that they’re trying to fill.

Don’t include obvious skills

If you’re interested in common resume mistakes, many individuals place obvious skills in their resumes.There is no need to write that you’re computer literate or have experience using MS Word as in today’s world it’s expected that all job applicants are computer savvy. 

As your resume should only be one page in length, choose every key point wisely and only include skills that match the job description which you were given or will help your resume stand out in a competitive job market. As an example, if you apply for a management position you may want to list graduating from a prestigious business school with honors instead, instead of stating that you have great people skills. 

Don’t lie about your experience

One of the best resume practices is to be as honest and transparent as possible. As if you lie about your work history or skills on your resume, it’s unlikely that you’ll get away with your lie. Especially as most records are available in digital format, an HR manager may try to verify key points on your resume. For example, they may check to see if you graduated from an Ivy League college or worked for a specific company for the past five years. 

Worse yet, if you do get hired for the position which you apply for, it will be obvious that you’re lacking the skills which you mentioned in your resume. Remember that if you lie on your resume you may be blacklisted by influential companies in your industry. 

So if you want to craft a professional resume which will increase your chances of being offered an in person interview or virtual interview for your dream position with a respected company, it’s well worth using the tips outlined above as resume guidelines. If you’ve already been applying for new roles and have struggled to get a call back, by simply implementing the resume tips listed above you should be able to increase your success rate.