You never get a second chance for a first impression!
If you want to stand out, your resume with your profile gives you the best opportunity to be noticed. Whether it is in a functional or chronological format, you should try to have your resume tailored towards the job you want to get. This will demonstrate to the prospective employer that you are the right candidate.
A last-minute job application without a proper review of an old resume is the fastest way to ruin your chance of success. The new resume shows your profile and increases your chances of being noticed. Generic resumes are no longer being used, successful candidates create a tailor-made resume with a focus on the job they are applying for.
Work history
A strong work history demonstrates your abilities even if they do not compliment your career path. For example, working at a fast-food restaurant shows your ability to offer customer service, manage cash and be part of a team. A job as a babysitter shows that the person is mature, has patience, and a good work ethic. No work history makes a potential employer wonder if you are ready for the real world.
You should add accomplishments, even if they appear strange. For example, winning a singing competition may open a conversation about your interest in the arts; while winning an athletic medal, on the other hand, may get recruiters talking about your interest in healthy foods.
Use catchphrases.
Employers receive hundreds of resumes every day. It is therefore a good idea to do some research on the organization you are applying to and include words that could get the employer’s attention. If you are applying to a bank, for example, you could use words like cash, credit cards, balance and reconcile. If you worked in a fast-food restaurant and operated the cash register, you would have handled all the above. Also, the website of the company you hope to work for is a good source of information.
Get important points noticed.
Most recruiters look at the top half of your resume first and usually view it in 20 seconds so highlight your achievements and experience first and then include other information. After listing, your contact information, add a summary of your qualifications and work experience that may be relevant to the job you are applying for.
Your education, honors and awards should follow along with any volunteer work you may be doing.
Keep the same font.
Unless you are applying for a position in Arts, Advertising or Marketing, you should always keep the same font. This makes your presentation look organized and will assist with the flow of the presentation. The most widely accepted fonts are Tahoma, Ariel, and Georgia but Times New Roman in 10- to 12- point size is the font most recommended.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Your resume speaks for you. Keep this in mind and double check the final document for spelling and grammatical errors. Recruiters will send your resume to the trash bin once errors are detected. This ensures that you do not end up in their organization and make the same errors.
Make your resume appealing and keep it to one page, two pages if you have more than 5 years’ experience. Be professional but show that you are fun and personable and demonstrate that you have some knowledge about the position you are applying for.
What to Avoid
Do not try to be funny?
Inappropriate comments or jokes may not go down well with your recruiter. Whenever possible you should avoid commenting on matters of race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. These comments may reflect poorly on a recruiter and breach ethical grounds as the recruiter may be questioned in the future about the reasons why you were employed.
Use plain paper or professional resume paper.
Your presentation on a bright blue paper will not go across well with recruiters. Trying to look pretty may look unprofessional. It says you are not ready for the world of work.
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Christopher Nelson CISSP
Christopher Nelson, MBA, CISSP, PMP, CSPO, ITIL Expert, is a Cybersecurity and Project Management professional who has worked for several organizations as a Senior Executive to develop strategies which improve operational efficiencies and deploy cyber security infrastructures.