Secrets of Writing a Short And Successful Resume

Whether you are a new member of the workforce or a seasoned professional, chances are your resume needs some editing. Considering how many people apply for jobs these days, you need to make sure your resume attracts hiring managers. The resumes that grab attention are short and simple. These types of resumes get your value across right off the bat.

A resume is the first step in the hiring process, so keep that in mind while writing yours. Considering that, here are some easy tips to keep your resume short and successful.

Focus On Text

Applicant tracking systems are all the rave these days. What these automated systems do is automatically screen out any applicants whose resumes do not include the keywords used in the job listing.

Don’t focus on formatting, simply use plain text because after going through the automatic review process, your resume might not look the same by the time it gets to the hiring manager. Make sure to use a word processing program so that it assists you with spelling, grammar, and punctuation as well, which is key in any recruiters eyes. You also should know how to list core competencies on a resume. Having good grammar and spelling on your resume points to your attention to detail and technical skills.

Incorporate Bullet Points

While demonstrating your skills, bullet points are a great tool to incorporate into your resume.

Another great tool is adding a career summary with bullet points near the top of your resume. This helps get across your value to the job and the skills that you’ve cultivated throughout your career. This can also be helpful in getting past the automated systems as the bullet points that you use can be seen as keywords as well.

You can also use bullet points while describing key experiences you’ve gained throughout other jobs as well as results that you’ve shown.

Trim Your Text

Make sure your text is easy enough to read without being lengthy. The point here is for the text to pass on your value without too much explanation and detail, As the hiring manager will not be expecting paragraphs when looking at your resume. If it’s too lengthy, chances are the hiring manager will put it aside without reading the full thing.

Valued Work Experience

You might have a lot of work experience in various fields. While this might be positive for you, make sure to only include the work experience that is relevant to the field and role that you are currently applying for. What this means is to leave out work experience that will not show your value to this job. The space on your resume is important, thus every spot should be filled with experience that will show the hiring manager that you are fit for the role.

Avoid exaggeration

Under job experience, describe your job responsibilities in a concise manner, a sentence or two is more than enough. There is no need to drone on about specific experiences or career objectives as it is not necessary. Make sure to mention the progress that you achieved instead of a description of all of your responsibilities.

Use Action Verbs

Instead of listing your past job responsibilities, consider using action verbs. Phrases like “tasked with are correct but they don’t display what you accomplished. By using action verbs, you have a better chance of showing your accomplishments within the role that you filled previously. Strong action verbs also catch the attention of the hiring manager instantly, which will pull them in making them want to read more.

Arrange Academic Qualifications in Order

Don’t mix up your academic qualifications and their respective spots. Mention the most recent qualifications on top and continue with previous ones underneath. It is important to keep things in order as it says a lot about your technical skills.