You should have a standard resume and cover letter that you can use at a moment’s notice, so if you meet someone you can provide it, or you can send it out immediately if there is a quick turn-around time. However, if you have time, you should tailor your standard resume to meet the … [Read more...]
Resume Tip 9. Avoid including personal information on the resume if this is for a job search.
Too many candidates list all types of personal information on their resumes. As a recruiter, I want to know about your professional and career experience. You do not need to tell that you are married, have 3 children, are a hiker, a fraternity member, a gardener or a piano player. All of … [Read more...]
Resume Tip 8. Indicate type of company, size of organization (total staff) or budget you handled.
Some companies are very well known—Wal-Mart, IBM, or Aetna Insurance, for example—but most are not. You will need to indicate if the company is a computer or manufacturing firm, and describe the type of computer firm (software or hardware) or products manufactured. Indicate the size of the … [Read more...]
Resume Tip 7. Indicate if you supervised staff (and how many) to show your management responsibilities.
Some titles don’t make it clear that they have management responsibility, so you need to add that to the description of the position. If a position title says you are a Supervisor or Manager, remember to indicate how many people you supervise or manage—even if it’s only one person. You … [Read more...]
Resume Tip 6. List titles of position and description of position responsibilities in case people are unclear about position title.
List your position titles and general responsibilities, since not all those reading your resume will be familiar with all titles, and titles vary for different careers. For example, the title “IT Coordinator” in one firm could mean managing or directing IT, while in another firm it could … [Read more...]
Resume Tip 5. Include dates of each paid or unpaid position. If you had a break in positions, then indicate why.
Dates are important because they provide valuable information to the recruiter: Dates indicate how many years of experience you have in your field. Dates indicate your longevity in each position and whether you have a habit of job-hopping. Without dates, the recruiter assumes you … [Read more...]
Resume Tip 4. Highlight the most important work that relates to the position you are seeking.
You want to catch the attention of the recruiters so they will continue to review your resume, so highlight the most relevant experiences first. It is important to list your most recent positions first. If the most recent position is not as relevant as the previous position, then keep … [Read more...]
Resume Tip 3. Include your educational degrees – make sure it is clear whether you received a degree or only attended college.
Use terms like BA, MBA, AS when you list your education, don’t just list the university. This will indicate that you have a degree. Also, list your major if it is not obvious from your degree. For example, an MA (Masters) does not need further explanation, unless you had a specific … [Read more...]
Resume Tip 2. Use consistent formatting and indenting, and plenty of white space so it is easy to read quickly.
Recruiters may spend only 30 seconds to one minute reviewing your resume to determine if you have the correct qualifications. If the print size is too small and there is no spacing between positions, your resume will be hard for recruiters to read. Besides being pleasing to the eye, the … [Read more...]
Resume Tip 1. Make sure you include your name, phone number and email (both of which you check daily especially when applying for new positions).
This is important because when Recruiters or Human Resource Directors are working on a specific position, they do not want to wait a few days to receive a reply to their call or email. They have lots of other candidates to contact! If you don’t return the call or email, they will assume … [Read more...]