We already have an in-depthguide to writing a resumethat should help you get started.
And, weve covered some general guidelines forwriting a resume for recent grads on writing a resume.
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Jessica Hernandez, founder of Great Resumes Fast, suggests that answering a set of questions about your accomplishments and performance will help you get getting in the right mindset to write your resume. Tina Russell/The Penny Hoarder
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This time, he knew hed have to rely on a strong resume to hook recruiters.
Did you know?
It represents the whole of your working life and you want it to be absolutely perfect, right?
So it doesnt have to start out perfect its not a static document.
Its like fishing without bait: make a resume on day one of a job hunt, he said.
Dont wait because youre nervous about rejection or [have a] fear of failure.
Decision paralysis can be a killer when youre overly worried about bad outcomes.
Once youve done that, circle the ones you know you have in common with the description.
For example, if you see analytical thinker several times and you consider yourself one, circle that.
These will likely be keywords recruiters are looking for on your resume.
This will help you bolster those keywords.
I actually did this, but didnt until after a month or two of searching, said Garcia-Cooper.
Your resume should not be static.
That is, you should be customizing it for each job you are chasing.
Dont just go with the first free template you find in Microsoft Word.
Garcia-Cooper usedVisual CVto design his resume instead of going with a template thats already out in the wild.
But according to resume experts, its best to keep it as simple as possible.
Err on the boring side with your font selection.
Recruiters are looking for something easy to read that wont be distracting think Arial or Georgia, said Margolis.
We get it, you want to wow a recruiter or future employer with your creative spark.
A fancy font can distract from that.
Ive seen a lot more color in resumes recently from applicants, said McIntosh.
But I wouldnt recommend that.
Black and white is always the way to go.
Short bullet points will highlight your accomplishments while making it easy for future employers to scan your work history.
Also, it should (hopefully) make you mindful of rambling too much about your job history.
Short bullet points will highlight your accomplishments while making it easy for future employers to scan your work history.
store your resume as a .pdf to avoid any problems with cross-compatibility.
There is still some disagreement about resume length among HR professionals.
McIntosh remains in the one-page-only camp.
take a stab at let your resume breathe.
confirm it is optimized for mobile devices, since a recruiter might open it on their phone.
That is a terrific way to showcase not just your resume, but also your background, Margolis said.
Your resume will likely go through an applicant-tracking system, which will search for those keywords we discussed earlier.
Recruiters will do the same as they skim your resume for those six seconds.
Protect yourself and do not put graduation dates on your resume, Hernandez said.
Its pointless to do so.
Dont hide your name, but consider using your first initial to avoid any unconscious gender bias as well.
McIntosh said this a positive trend hes noticed in the world of resume-writing.
You should, however, still use your full name in the utility and in your email.
Dont put your exact address if youre applying for jobs within the area.
The street name and number will just add clutter.
If you were truly unemployed, add a section in which you describe yourself as an independent consultant.
Under the description, write that you needed some flexibility to take care of personal matters, McIntosh suggests.
When Garcia-Cooper was job hunting, he was working for his fathers landscaping businesses.
But he didnt include that on his resume because he didnt think it was applicable experience.
He could have included it, one recruiter told him, because it shows that he was always working.
It just came down to framing it correctly.
I would say this very important especially in 2019, she said.
Consider skipping the objective section at the top of your resume, which just takes up valuable space.
In fact, you wouldnt be sending a resume if you didnt want a new job.
Theres nothing more grating for a recruiter than reading a mealy-mouthed jumble of cliches.
Avoid using I or me while writing your resume.
Use action verbs like built or launched at the beginning of bullet points.
Hernandez said you should avoid terms such as proficient, experienced and skilled in when describing software or skills.
Printing it out will help you catch mistakes you might otherwise overlook.
Pro-tip: Use a much larger font to help yourself identify mistakes even more.
Reading aloud is helpful, too, said Margolis.
You should also ask them to read it for clarity.
Does it convey exactly what you have accomplished?
Is it clear what value you will bring to the company?
Go onFiverrorUpworkand look for proofreaders or copy editors to take a look at your resume.
It will help recruiters identify whose resume they are looking at right away.
In fact, thats how Garcia-Cooper learned he should avoid leaving gaps in his work history.
Alex Mahadevan is a data journalist at The Penny Hoarder.
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