Submitting a resume that outshines fellow job-seekers can take some work to produce. There are certain aspects that need to be incorporated into the resume that companies are looking for. Knowing the do’s and don’ts of resume building can be a vital tool for landing that next dream position. Many of the following factors can assist in helping a resume to stand out among competitors.
Always include the basic information in the correct order. Contact information, career objective, work history, education, and special skills are essential to any resume. Providing companies a way to view this with a simple click of a link is also handy if the job-seeker has a LinkedIn Profile created.
Using a standard font that is visually appealing to the eye is necessary. There is no reason to use a different off the wall font just to stand out to the employer. In fact 84% of professional resume builders discourage job-seekers from writing any kind of creative resume. This type of action will not be productive in landing that position.
Each resume should be tailor made to fit the appropriate job role that is being applied for. Companies are able to quickly pick up on a resume that is “one size fits all”. It is critical to include only relevant information that applies directly to the position that is being sought after.
References should not be included within the resume. In the United States this is often perceived as an invasion of privacy and breach of personal data. Waiting until the company requests references is much more appropriate.
Don’t lie about career gaps, or attempt to cover them up. In fact 73% of resume professionals encourage job-seekers to explain any kind of career gap they may have. Being upfront and honest with companies regarding any gap between employment is better than leaving them wondering what happened during that time frame.
Avoid being wordy when creating a resume. Entry level job-seekers are advised to keep a resume to one page. However, if one is experienced it is perfectly fine to have two pages. When creating bullet points to describe achievements and job duties under each company keep it concise and narrowed down to six bullets.