11 Points to Improve Your Resume
If your resume fails to display a clean look and does not portray a clear brand and value proposition, then it lacks a compelling reason for any hiring manager to call you in for an interview.
Employers prefer crisp resumes. Tailor yours with information that gets to the point. By using our resume template and following our 11 points, you'll improve both the style and the substance of your resume.
Layout—Add visual interest and readability by carefully using bullets, indents, ‘white space’, bold text, and a single font style. Choose a standard sans serif font; Arial, Tahoma, or Calibri are easy on readers’ eyes. Do not include photos, graphics, italic fonts; they do not translate in applicant tracking systems used by companies today.
Length—The general rule is simple: One page for early career candidates. Two pages for mid-career candidates. Two to three pages for senior-level candidates.
Contact Information—Convey professionalism everywhere, including your header. Provide a private and reliable cell phone number and use a professional-sounding email address, such as YourName@email; use a free email service, such as Gmail or Yahoo!, or your own professional domain name. Do not use your work phone and email address. Be sure to include a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile.
Job Data—Provide relevant detail about your past and present employers, such as product information, company size, annual revenue, and geographic location.
Objective—Never, under any circumstances, should you list an objective on your resume. Listing one could pigeon hole your resume to a certain position and will not give the hiring manager the ability or reason to look beyond that first line.
Synopsis—Consider the first page of your resume as filling the gap between your networking efforts and business cards, and your full resume. Tailor each resume to the job requisition; include keywords and phrases in the top third of the first page.
Content—Your resume should be razor sharp and spotless, cleaned of general statements that anyone can claim, but few can prove. Your message must be compelling and easy to read. Information in your resume must match the needs of the hiring manager and reflect that you understand the company and its culture, mission, and goals. Keep your career theme consistent throughout.
Value Proposition—This is your personal brand, your unique selling proposition. Employers want to know who you are and why they should consider you for a position. Illustrate what you can do for company to make you stand out.
Measurables—Quantify your job duties, reporting relationships, and achievements with numbers. Employers want to know how you contributed to the bottom line. How much money did you make? How much money did you save? How did you solve problems?
Dates—Make sure the dates are clear and accurate; address gaps. Display both the month and the year of each job transition, not just the year alone. If you’re a mid- to late-career candidate, you can save space by listing early career jobs together.
Degree Credentials—Be honest. Misrepresenting your degree is unethical; it could result in negative and painful consequences.
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