Ever had a friend or family member ask you to look over their resume? Did your eyes almost immediately glaze over at the jargon and unintelligible details? It’s not much different for hiring managers and prospective employers who look over your resume when they’re considering you for a position you’ve applied for. We’ve got five tips to help you tweak your resume to make it more engaging and to make your best skills and attributes easier to identify.
1. Numbers
The importance of numbers on a resume cannot be overstated. The better you can quantify your experience and your skills, the easier it will be for a future employer to understand how you can be an asset to them. If you improved some aspect of revenue or sales in a previous position, say how much exactly. If you achieved a goal quickly, say how quickly in months, or express in a percentage how much faster you achieved something than average. Don’t just say you oversaw a team, say exactly how many employees you managed daily. Numbers make your accomplishments tangible to people reading your resume.
2. Trim the fat
Many resumes suffer extreme bloat. If you have a graduate degree, it’s probably not important to list your high school or secondary school (unless it was a nationally or internationally known institution). Similarly, unless you achieved something truly spectacular (like being a Rhodes scholar), or if you’re actually in an academic field where it would be relevant, leave academic awards off your resume. When listing your employment history, try not to re-list duties you performed at multiple jobs, or find a way to mention them only briefly subsequent times—assume that by listing a duty you performed once on your resume people will understand you possess that skill.
3. List certifications
It’s important to list any relevant professional or academic certifications you may have. The certification should always take the place of simply listing the skill. If you’ve been in a corporate environment for long, chances are you’ve racked up a few software and app certifications. Rather than say you’re proficient with spreadsheets, list your Microsoft Office or G Suite certifications.
4. LinkedIn profile
Yes, this is becoming critical for most employers. They are going to take a glance at your online presence, so make sure they’re able to figure out which John Smith you are. Brush up all of your social media profiles from Facebook to Twitter, but LinkedIn is the only one you should list unless one of the others is specific to the position you’re seeking or your industry. Just remember someone at a prospective employer probably will check your profiles out, so make sure they’re up-to-date and up to snuff!
