Tips For Your Best Resume
It’s been a bit of a stressful week for me and I would appreciate prayers, good vibes, whatever it is you believe it. Just being super honest with you all.
Now, to the real point of this post: resumes. Resumes are super important, even if you aren’t actively on the hunt for a job. I do a check of my resume about once a month just to make sure that everything is accurate and is up to date. My resume needs to accurately represent me because when I am applying for jobs, that is probably the thing that gives off the first impression about me.
I had a professor in college who made us all turn in a resume as part of our final grade. Many people thought it was kind of odd, but I took this opportunity to learn from her. She worked as a reporter for ABC News, specifically 20/20, and even CNN, so I wanted to know what she thought was important to have. I used office hours to soak up her advice on resumes and so much more about the industry I now work in.
Because of that professor, I am really proud of the way my resume looks and receive compliments all the time about it.
I’ve learned a few things that I want to share with you today. Welcome to Resume Building 101. Can we call it that?
1. Format is IMPORTANT
As much as it sucks, truth is that usually, your resume doesn’t thoroughly get read the first time. If your resume is hard to read, then in the 20-ish seconds your resume is scanned, the important stuff probably won’t be seen.
When creating your resume, use clean type, a good format, and clear headings. Microsoft Word has so many templates. Canva also has great templates. I also LOVE JobNexus. They have free templates that are so easy to download and use with Microsoft Word or Google Docs!
The use of italic and bold type can help guide the reader’s eye. Bullet points are also great to use on your resume.
2. List your accomplishment, not only job descriptions
It is important to know what you did at your job, not just what your job was. Use a line or two to put your job description, but then list some accomplishments. Also, most resumes are scanned through software, so a human might never even see it. Keywords are important here.
3. Cater your resume for the industry
I worked concession in high school and throughout college. I also worked as a nanny, but you won’t find this on my resume or even my LinkedIn. Why? Because it isn’t relevant to the media industry. Also, this is where the look of your resume is important. If you’re looking to get into graphic design, then you should definitely have a creative design and layout on your resume. If you’re going into engineering, then an elaborate design probably isn’t necessary.
4. Ditch the objective
This was the first thing my professor crossed off on my resume when I brought it to her and I’ve heard this advice so many times since. The objective really doesn’t tell the hiring manager anything. If you want to replace this section, replace it with a career summary. This gives a brief overview and who you are and what you do. Think of it as your elevator pitch almost.
5. The most important things go at the top
The top third of your resume is the most valuable so make it count. Use this space for name and contact info (phone, email, LinkedIn URL), skills, and experience.
Ready to step up your resume game?
If you need any examples, you can go to my portfolio and I’ve got a link to my resume on there! There are also so many great examples on Google! Seriously. The internet has EVERYTHING!
Happy resume building!
xo,
Amanda
