As a professional, you may already have a resume saved that you have used in the past. But if you are looking to secure your dream job, resist the urge to simply add your latest work experience to an old file. Often your first impression with a potential employer, a customized resume is a chance to land an interview.
Your resume is an opportunity to share your skills and show off your talents. Then, the recruiters at Quality Placement Authority can connect you with hiring managers.
Start at the Top
On the top of your resume, you will want to put your contact information and your website or online portfolio, when appropriate.
From there, use the top of your resume to present a short profile or personal summary. If a hiring manager is doing a fast scan of the page, you want a statement up front that clearly states your goal. Using this valuable real estate to let employers know who you are and where you are headed in two to four sentences can really make an impact.
Listing Work Experience
In some instances, your best bet is to have a skills section where you list your soft skills and hard skills before listing prior work experience. Soft skills could include communication, team work, problem solving, and leadership, for example. On the other hand, hard skills might include data analysis, marketing, web development, or network security. Essentially this area of your resume gives a recruiter a snapshot of what you have to offer.
From there, list your job history in chronological order with the most recent position first. When describing the job duties of your prior positions, use action verbs and provide concrete numbers and results when possible. This could be the percentage of growth if you worked in sales or the expenses you were able to reduce for the company in a management position.
Choosing Words for Your Resume
After your job history, add your education and certification information. Using keywords within your resume and cover letter can help you get noticed, too. Keywords are words or strings of words that represent the skills and qualities an employer is looking for in a candidate. Because the keyword search may be done electronically, clarity is important.
To determine your keywords, check the job listing you are applying for or consider the job title you desire. Then, use those exact words within your resume and cover letter. Here are a few positions that could also be keywords; Property Manager, Senior Accountant, or Marketing Coordinator.
And, of course, proofread your resume before sending it to a recruiter or hiring manager. Asking a friend or family member to look over your resume can help, too. They may notice spelling or grammatical errors you missed.
Is your resume ready to be sent to hiring managers? Quality Placement Authority is a full-service staffing and recruiting firm with nationwide service capabilities. Let our experts help you find the best position for you. Connect with Quality Placement Authority today.
