Crafting The Perfect Resume For Job Openings

Crafting The Perfect Resume | Great Hire Staffing | Los Angeles

Resumes are like spare tires. You are never quite sure when you’ll need it but are very glad you have a good one when you do. The fact of the matter is resumes are typically your first selling point for any job opening or interview. They are the first tool in your bag at finding a new career.

Resumes are not the be all and end all. Creating, or paying for, a perfectly formed resume does not lock you into a great career. However, a terrible resume can guarantee that you won’t even sniff an interview. Great Hire has been helping people find great jobs for over a decade. We understand how businesses fill their job openings and how to put our clients in the best position to find that great career. So if you’d like to learn how to improve your resume, read on.

Format For Success:

It is important to know that resumes are almost never actually read, at least on the first run through. An effective resume will be formatted so readers can skim through it and quickly glean the highlights of a candidate. Job openings, whether for a temporary job or an exciting career, typically elicit hundreds, if not thousands, of responses. That’s why your resume must stand out at a glance. Here are some format tips:

Use wide margins, a visually pleasing type and clear headers.
Utilize different font types to help your best attributes. Bold and Italicize strategically to draw the eyes of your reader.
You can’t go wrong with bullet points!

Tailor Your Resume for the Job:

Not all resumes are created equal. A resume for a freelance designer should look different than one for a chemical engineer. Understand what elements exemplify the job or career and match your resume to those ideals. For instance, an engineer shouldn’t have a resume with flowery, decorative language. It should hammer home his or her strengths as an engineer and quantify achievements in detail.

On the other hand, a resume for a writer should attempt to demonstrate their writing ability without bogging it down with too much information. A writer should mention where their best work was published and even attach a link if possible.

The bottom line: not all jobs are created equal, therefore, neither should all resumes. The more you can demonstrate your understanding of the job opening you want, the better your chances of getting it.

Utilize Online Tools:

Sure, there is an upside to handing in your resumé in person and shaking someone’s hand; it can help imprint you in their memory. But the fact of the matter is, for good and bad, the world has gone digital. A 2014 survey by Jobvite found that 93 percent of recruiters will do a web search before they choose to interview you. Only share social media accounts if they are professional. Your personal Instagram accounts will, hopefully, have no bearing on whether you get the job.

Understand if you don’t have a Linkedin page or you have Facebook pictures of you doing keg stands, chances are you won’t be hearing back from them. Clean up your online presence so you may put your best foot forward. The internet in many ways has replaced the business card. Your Google search will undoubtedly go a long way in determining your job prospects.

Work History:

Naturally, you need to put your work history. Start with your most recent job and work your way backward. If you have other accomplishments like military service, board positions, volunteer work and internships add them to your work history. The idea is to put any job, position or responsibility that paints you in the best light. For each role detail the following:

Job Title: Be as specific and professional sounding as possible. If you had more than one title add them.
Job Description: Keep in mind the roles and responsibilities of the job you are applying for. Do your best to portray the skills and experience as advantages for your next job.
Start and Stop Dates: Self-Explanatory.
Achievements: Feel free to brag about yourself a little. Detail how you contributed, improved or benefitted the organization where you worked. The more specific you can be the better.

Think of your resume as your representative on paper. If your career requires a personable, outgoing nature like a tour guide, your resume should reflect that. It should not read like a resume for a librarian. Yes, your work history, references, and accomplishment are all vital elements to a resume, but you already knew that, didn’t you?

Fitting your resume to the career you want, while dazzling them with the appropriate tone is a combination for success. For more information for job seekers, check our website at Great Hire.