Lending a Helping Hand – Tips for Perfecting Your Resume
People find themselves searching for a new job for several different reasons. In 2008, at the height of the Great Recession, the number of people that found themselves in the market for a new position reached upwards of 2.5 million. Several mistakes can be made when going through the rigorous task of securing employment and being prepared can make the process significantly easier. One of the earliest mistakes that can be made is a resume that is not effectively put together. Having a very organized and well written resume can help differentiate you from the rest of the group.
Types of Resumes
When creating your resume, knowing which type of resume best suits you can help shine the best light on your experience. Chronological and Functional resumes are the two most common resume formats. A Chronological resume highlights your experience and if you are seeking a position in the same field as your previous jobs this may be the format for you. In this format the applicant lists their employer and any relevant experience, usually in reverse chronological order listing the most recent employer first. Another common format is a functional resume. This format is usually more suited for people who either have gaps in employment or who are changing their career. In a functional resume the applicant will list any relevant skills and education pertaining to the position they are seeking. Once all of the qualified skills have been detailed there will be another section that will list your experience.
Grammatical and Punctuation Errors
A very common reason that resumes are often over looked is because of grammatical errors. When vying for a new position having the perfect resume is important. Many Hiring Managers will dismiss a resume due to misspellings and punctuation mistakes no matter how qualified the candidate may be for the position. This type of mistake can be interpreted as being unorganized or not detail oriented. Now you may be saying “But I used spell check and fixed all the errors.” While this may work some of the time, nothing helps more than having a fresh pair of eyes look over your resume. As you structure your resume you see it over and over again so it is quite easy for your brain to “overlook” mistakes that are automatically corrected by your brain. Having someone else review your resume can reveal errors that you may not have seen. If you do not know anyone that can check your resume there are online services where you can submit your resume for review.
Be Detail Oriented
Another mistake that is often made when creating a resume is not being detailed enough. As recruiters one of the things that we look at when we are reviewing resumes for potential candidates are the specifics. Recruiters and Hiring Managers alike want to see the numbers. For example, if you are targeting your resume for an invoicing position you may have a bullet in your resume that states “in charge of handling multiple invoices.” An alternative to this statement that would be more detail oriented could be the following: “In charge of invoicing processes that averaged 1,200 invoices for 13 different companies.” This shows that you handled heavy invoicing. It also shows that you were able to do this for multiple entities. Ultimately the more detailed you can be in regards to the positions that you have worked, the better your chances of securing an interview with a potential employer.
While this is not an all-encompassing list of ways to set yourself apart from the crowd, becoming familiar with the different ways to format your resume can provide you that little extra push for your resume to reach the top of the pile. Your recruiter can also give you pointers on how to set up your resume; and if they see something that can be expanded upon, they can help you elaborate.