As the entire job application process is becoming increasingly digitized, job applicants are racing to catch up. The year 2018 has seen some resume trends on the rise – like adding hyperlinks to your resume or building it with a template. But also, some resume tips never get old, like keeping it one page, simple, and sweet. Here are some of the best tips on resume-building that we’ve culled – use them to springboard your job search!
Use a template
Endlessly fiddling around with the margins of your resume on Microsoft Word is now a thing of the past. Why? Templates have arrived! Websites like Etsy allow you to download professionally designed resume templates – all you must do is add your own information. Your boring document can instantly be transformed into a well-designed, eye-catching professional resume.
Forget the personal statement
Taking up precious resume real estate with a generic statement about your soft skills and interests is a no-no. Let recruiters see what they’re looking for in your resume on their own instead of trying to pad your image with jargon and obvious statements. Unless you’ve got an executive statement that is really unique, save it for your LinkedIn page.
Emphasize accomplishments, not responsibilities
This requires some creative thought – which totally pays off. You can start making a list of all the responsibilities you had. Then, write next to each of those responsibilities the accomplishments you made in that responsibility. These will be the bullet points you use in your resume.
Make it one page
Don’t fall into the trap of trying to fit every single internship, skill, and little detail into your resume. A pruned down resume gives your big accomplishments and roles a place to shine. Also keep in mind that time is something recruiters almost never have an excess of – chances are, they won’t even look at the second page.
Tailor it to applicant tracking systems
While you’d like to think your resume is going straight to a pair of human eyes, it is often first seen by an applicant tracking system, an automated computer program that scans your resume for keywords and weeds out unqualified applicants. If you haven’t been having luck with your resume – this could be one of the biggest tips to save you. Add keywords to your resume to help it glide through applicant tracking systems.
Create more than one resume
In today’s job market, the strength of your job application comes in its uniqueness when you’re up against applicant tracking systems, and applicants from all over the country, you need to find a way to stand out in every single job you apply for. While keeping the same basic template, set yourself apart from the pack by tailoring your skills, experience, and interests to every single job you apply for.
Tell a story with your resume
A resume isn’t just a collection of lists. It’s where you weave the story of your career trajectory. Highlight the major milestones that show your progress and learning process. Your goal is to draw the reader in, rather than make them feel like they’re reading a simple chronology.
Leave out your basic computer skills
You’re proficient at Microsoft Word and Google Search? Great, so is the rest of the pool of applicants you’re vying for the job against. Adding these skills to your resume is clear evidence that you’re trying to pad your resume because you don’t have enough skills to fill it in. Instead, there are lots of concrete skills that you can pick up quickly before a job interview instead.
And, don’t add your elementary foreign language skills
While you’re at it, leave out the two years of French you took in high school, or the semester of Portuguese you took during your semester abroad. It’s unlikely that you would ever need to use your elementary vocabulary to make a substantial contribution at the job. So unless you’re planning on ramping up your studies of the language before the interview happens, don’t bother to include it.