Resumes are likely to get a nasty rap.
We write them begrudgingly, often in periods of transition, or tumult. We fiddle with phrasing and format, agonizing over the way to present our skills and qualifications in the perfect light possible.
But the reality is, it doesn’t must be so complicated.
A resume is a just tool — very similar to a canopy letter or LinkedIn profile — for grabbing a hiring manager’s attention. It needs to be easy, skilled and laser-focused on what you bring to the table. And when you’ll have to periodically give it a refresh, adding recent keywords and relevant accomplishments, brevity is vital.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to crafting a resume recruiters can’t overlook — with a free template you’ll be able to download and customize.
1. Select a sensible format and font
Let’s be blunt: The job market is brutal. Hiring is down, unemployment is up and wages have stalled, based on a recent report from the Labor Department. To face out on this ever-crowded field, you might be tempted to jazz up your resume with creative elements like video intros, headshots or infographics.
This isn’t a nasty strategy should you’re, say, a graphic designer. But for many job seekers, a standard layout (reverse chronological order; left-aligned) with a clean, no-frills format continues to be the technique to go. This is particularly true should you’re applying through an organization’s online hiring portal or through a job posting site like Indeed. These sites sift through massive volumes of resumes using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which ignore photos and graphics at best, or, at worst, mechanically reject applicants who use them.
You’ll want to use the identical font style throughout, says Dana Leavy-Detrick, founding father of Brooklyn Resume Studio, but play with different weights and sizes to attract a recruiter’s eye to key parts of your resume. Sans serif fonts often work best — Franklin Gothic, Calibri, and Avenir (the last of which we used for the downloadable template) are three of Leavy-Detrick’s favorites.
2. Add a pop of color
In case you’re applying for an investment banking job, a hot-pink resume probably won’t do you any favors. But subtle pops of color, just like the orange used here, will work for almost everyone. “It’s very minimal, and offers a little bit of a design element,” Leavy-Detrick says.
Nonetheless, should you do use color, “Stick with one color,” she warns, and “use it sparingly.”
A note on length: In case you’re not applying for an executive position, keep your resume to 1 page. It is a highlight reel, not an autobiography, so showcase your most impressive accomplishments and miss the remainder.
3. Highlight the fitting skills
Lead with the great things. The highest of your resume should include “critical keywords and a fast snapshot of your core strengths,” Leavy-Detrick says.
Hard skills, or tangible attributes that may easily be measured, take precedence here. In case you’re in a tech-driven field, software and programming expertise is what employers wish to see in your resume. In case you’re in sales, marketing or a creative industry, showcase your experience with data and analytics software like Excel, Salesforce and Oracle or project management tools like Asana, Trello and Jira.
4. Quantify your impact
To craft a compelling case, zero in on proven results. Statistics that construct upon your skills section are most impactful — bonus points in the event that they show a track record of growth, revenue and profitability, Leavy-Detrick says.
In case you’re drawing a blank, she suggests nodding to things that might help solve a “problem area” for the corporate you’re applying to, like improving customer retention, internal processes and even company culture.
“Impact doesn’t all the time must be measured by metrics,” she says.
5. Cut irrelevant information
Be discerning with the content — don’t list salary requirements, or tick off every job you’ve ever had. The identical goes for social media profiles. Unless your Instagram and TikTok feeds are relevant to the job you’re applying for, it’s probably best to go away those off.
“The resume is a high-level snapshot of your skills, experience, and accomplishments,” Leavy-Detrick says. If a hiring manager has to scan through an excessively detailed one, “they’re more more likely to miss key responsibilities.”
6. Make your resume AI friendly
Don’t make the error of answering each job posting with the identical generic resume. As an alternative, take a number of extra minutes to mirror it to the keywords and phrases throughout the job ad. You’ll be rather more more likely to make it to the following round of hiring if the corporate is using artificial intelligence or a computer-generated tracking system to weed out candidates.
“Get as close as you’ll be able to to the language of the job description, or at the very least search for common denominators,” Leavy-Detrick advises.
In case you’re planning to solid a large net by uploading a general resume to your LinkedIn or Indeed profile, ensure it’s tailored to the first job you would like — then update your keywords when applying to positions that deviate from the norm.
7. Know what recruiters are on the lookout for
Staff have to be flexible lately, and so do their resumes. It’s nearly not possible to avoid change — whether it’s updates to technology, staffing or workflow. Now greater than ever, proving your ability to adapt is the important thing to
finding (and keeping) a job.
This is particularly true for older job seekers, who “aren’t perceived to be as versatile as their younger counterparts on the subject of technology,” Leavy-Detrick says.
In case you fall into that category, she says, you should definitely emphasize the digital skills you have got experience in, like email marketing, social media or cybersecurity.
8. Strike the right balance
Omitting information could make recruiters suspicious, especially if there are large gaps in your employment history. So ensure your resume doesn’t have an excessive amount of white space, or gaps in time, without providing a little bit of context. In case you worked outside of your current industry while between jobs, for example, nod to that in a temporary “additional experience” section.
Still, refrain from including every little detail about your personal life — should you took some time without work to boost a family, or self-publish a novel, you’re probably higher off leaving that for the duvet letter.