Having a well-crafted resume is crucial for standing out to potential employers. Your resume is typically the first impression that a recruiter or hiring manager will have of you, so it’s important to make it clear, concise, and impactful. Here are some best practices to keep in mind when creating your resume:
1. Tailor Your Resume to the Job
The single most important thing you can do is tailor your resume to the specific job you are applying for. Be sure to highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the position you are seeking. This shows the employer that you have taken the time to understand their needs and have the qualifications to meet them. You will find this information in the Requirements section of the job description.
Do Not indicate you’ve had experience you don’t, this will be obvious on the interview and will end up being a waste of your time.
If you have experience asked for in the job description, add it to your resume so there is no doubt when it’s reviewed. The best places for this are adding a bullet point to your current or most recent employment, or in your summary section.
Often I will advise candidates to have multiple versions of their resume that can be quickly tailored. For example, a Team Lead Software Engineer may be interested in an individual contributor role in some environments, or one that’s more geared toward managing a team in another. Have 2 resumes, one that speaks to individual programming contributions, the other should emphasize leadership skills. Then you can quickly make adjustments to the appropriate document as needed rather than a major rewrite for different roles.
2. Choose the Right Format
There are several different resume formats to choose from, including chronological, functional, and combination formats. The most common format is the chronological resume, which lists your work experience in reverse chronological order. Choose a format that best showcases your skills and experiences in a way that is easy for the employer to read and understand. If a resume is hard to read, people won’t read it. This is especially true when someone has hundreds of resumes to go through.
3. Use a Professional Design
Your resume should have a clean, professional design that is easy to read. When resumes are hard to read and a recruiter has hundreds to go through, they’ll just move on. Avoid using overly flashy fonts or colors, and make sure that your contact information is easy to find. If the reader is on the fence about your experience and there’s no contact info on your resume, it’s getting deleted. Use bullet points, headings, and spacing effectively to highlight key information and make your resume visually appealing.
I’d advise against embedding links or using pictures as these can confuse the parsing engines of Applicant Tracking Systems. If you’re looking for a new role you want your profile to be easily searchable, so you’ll be considered for new roles when they open.
4. Highlight Your Achievements
Instead of just listing your job duties, focus on your achievements and accomplishments in each role. Quantify your achievements whenever possible (e.g. "increased sales by 20%") to provide concrete evidence of your skills, capabilities, and contributions. This helps the employer see the value you can bring to their organization. If you have effectively quantified your value, negotiating a higher salary becomes attainable.
5. Keep it Concise
Recruiters have limited time to review resumes, keep yours concise and to the point. Aim for a resume length of one to two pages, depending on your level of experience. For people with certifications, a lot of education credentials, or publications, three pages may be warranted. Every day I get resumes that are 15 pages long, I’m not reading through those, and my clients won’t either.
Include only the most relevant information and avoid unnecessary details that could clutter your resume. A resume is a marketing document design to generate a conversation about a role you’re interested in. It is not an autobiography. Drop anything that isn’t relevant to the person reading it who is deciding whether to reach out to you about the job you’re applying for. If you’re unsure what’s relevant, take another look at the requirements, this is typically written by the hiring manager.
6. Proofread Carefully
Spelling and grammatical errors can make a negative impression on potential employers, so be sure to proofread your resume carefully before submitting it. Consider asking a friend to review your resume to catch any mistakes you may have missed.
By following these best practices for creating a resume, you can increase your chances of landing interviews. Remember to tailor your resume to the job, choose the right format, use a clean easy to read design, highlight your achievements, keep it concise, and proofread carefully. Good luck!
