Having a solid resume is crucial for landing your dream job. Here are ten helpful tips to improving your resume:
1. Know the purpose - Sell yourself; keep in mind the main objective of a resume is to land an interview.
2. Use appealing titles and headings - Create titles that grab the attention of your potential employer. Try to keep the titles as descriptive as possible, while highlighting the most important information about your work experience, education and skills.
3. State achievements - State your professional achievements and abilities rather than simply listing responsibilities. Prioritize your job descriptions by importance and impressiveness.
4. Use Numbers - Include numbers to enhance your professional achievements. For example, "managed two divisions and increased production by 34%."
5. Keep your resume to 1-2 pages in length - Don't list all of your past work experience unless it is appropriate. An employer won't care that you worked at a movie theater when you were 16. If you find yourself having problems filling an entire page, don't add irrelevant content just to take up space. Remember, quality over quantity.
6. Use action words - your resume needs to get noticed. Use strong keywords such as, "managed," "directed," "supervised"...etc. when describing your previous jobs.
7. Keep your resume plain and simple - Don't try to add fancy designs or fonts. Bullet points are a great way to separate text and keep your resume organized.
8. Print with quality - If you are submitting a hard copy of your resume, be sure to use plain white paper and quality ink.
9. Adjust your resume for each potential employer - Identify the needs of the company and address this in your resume. Prepare yourself for a potential phone interview after submitting your resume. Research the company you have applied with and rehearse explaining how you could add value to their business.
10. Review your resume - Ask multiple friends to review your resume and provide feedback. When your done checking for errors... check again!