How many chances do you get to make a first impression on employers? You know the answer… one. Generally, the first thing hiring managers get their hands on about you is your resume. So, if you’re hoping to get your foot in the door with an interview, it’s crucial that yours is impressive enough to not get thrown in the trash with the other hundreds of applicants’ resumes. Not only do you want to make the best first impression, but you want to make the right one. Here are a few helpful tips and tricks to notch up your resume this year.
1. Boost your contact info.
Hiring managers don’t have much time to waste. Make their job as easy as possible by using hyperlinks so that it’s just one-click away. This includes your email address and your LinkedIn profile, or any other social media accounts you want the recruiter to see.
2. Use good structure that makes things “pop.”
If you think recruiters are slowly reading your resume from start to finish, think again. Instead, they are constantly skimming the page for certain check-offs they’re looking for. Therefore, use bolded text to make certain your achievements don’t get grazed over.
3. Don’t speak in first person.
Your resume shouldn’t include words like “I” or any other pronouns. Instead, take off the “I” and just begin with the verb to describe your experiences.
4. Forget the “skills” section, and weave your talents into your work experience.
Instead of having a long list of skills at the bottom of your resume, employers would rather see how you have applied them by including them into your work experience section.
5. Prioritize your resume content.
To make the best impression, you want the utmost relevant and important experience to be listed first. Make sure the categories on your resume are organized for recruiters to easily stay focused.
6. Keep it short and simple.
The average hiring manager spends about 10-20 seconds looking at your resume. You don’t want to blow this short amount of time. The highlight here is to cut down your professional story to one page, unless you have over 5 years of experience.
For more tips about your resume from The Wilson Group, check out our blog and for job opportunities view our website.
