30/10/2022
“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”
—Thomas Jefferson
Your resume is one of the first glimpses of you that a future employer will see. A strong resume can be greatly beneficial to help the reader get an idea of your skills, experiences, and if you would be a good fit for the position. Your resume may look a bit different at different stages of your career, but the core message that you want to portray will stay the same: why are you the most qualified candidate for the role?
Whether you are applying for your first or thirty-first job, many of the core features of any resume will remain the same. Be sure to include your name, email address, and contact information at the top of the first page. Include a hyperlink to your LinkedIn account with your contact information so that recruiters can easily reference your profile for more information on your experiences. Under your name, you can also include a job title for your current position or the position which you are applying to to make your career intentions clear.
With any resume, it is best to stick with simple formatting: a clear font choice, legible font size (typically no smaller than 11 pt.), and a clean overall layout. Unless the job application specifies otherwise, keep your resume from 1-2 pages in length. Be sure to highlight your key accomplishments and positions. Recruiters are reading through dozens of resumes and might not have time to read over every one of your previous roles in detail. They could end up skimming past your most relevant experience if it is buried between other, less relevant activities. If you still want to showcase previous experiences that are older or less relevant to the job you are applying to, include them in your LinkedIn so that recruiters can still read about them if they want more information about you. It is also important to stick to basic language and avoid using unnecessary technical jargon. Consider the audience who will be reading your resume: the front line resume reviewers may never have worked in the role you are applying to which may mean that too many technical words will limit their resonation with your work.
Finally, one of the most important things to do when writing your resume is proofread! This step can often be overlooked, especially when submitting many resumes for many jobs during an application cycle. Your resume is one of the first impressions of your work and if there are mistakes in your resume’s spelling, grammar, or formatting, it can be enough to rank you below an equally qualified applicant whose resume did not contain any errors.
When listing your previous experiences on your resume, 2-4 bullet points or a short paragraph are your way to really show what you gained from that role and showcase your relevant skills. Beginning your points with action verbs (such as these) and including core deliverables can help to strengthen your application. The purpose of these points is to demonstrate to the reader how you are able to apply the skills that are relevant to your position. This is especially important for individuals who are applying to roles in a new field – identifying your skills that will translate into a new role can show that you are qualified for the job, even if it is different from your previous experiences.
As a new grad, you may lay out your resume slightly differently than someone who has been working in the field for a longer time. For example, your education section will likely be near the top of your resume since it is recent and relevant information. It is important to highlight your skills gained through your study program, particularly if you have not yet gained much work experience in the field. You can also include a short statement at the beginning of your resume which tells the reader a bit more about your professional profile.
As an experienced professional who may have more years of work or jobs in the field under your belt, your professional experiences will show through more than your education in this case. It is still important to highlight your skills you might have learned in your course of study, but your education section becomes less significant and can be moved down towards the end of your resume.
By carefully crafting your resume and tailoring it to your job of interest, you can showcase your skills and experiences so that you can land your next position! In this blog post, we highlighted how you can build a strong resume through clearly showcasing your skills, as well as how to tailor your resume based on your career stage. Check out the podcast episode and resources below for more information!
Written by: Natalie Wilson
