Looking for work really is a full-time job on its own. You know that Spencer Minuteman Press is the best place for premium business card printing in Melbourne, but did you know we can help you land the job title printed on the front of that card? That’s right—we offer digital printing with a variety of finishing options perfect for printing your résumé. However, before you send your resume to us for printing, you’ll want to make sure that it’s highlighting your qualifications and presenting your skills and experience in the best possible light.
Format
Let’s start with the basics. First of all, your résumé should be as concise as possible. Ideally it will be no more than two pages; busy managers don’t have the time to read anything much longer than that. Second of all, your résumé should include clearly titled sections for education, work experience, certifications, licenses, awards, accomplishments and other information that is relevant to your field.
Next, remember that a résumé is not an essay—you should not be writing paragraphs or even complete sentences; bullet points look tidy and are easy to read. Finally, always save your résumé as a pdf file. As most people apply online these days, you don’t want the formatting you invested time into perfecting to be lost when a different operating system opens your document. A pdf file is secure, so you can ensure potential employers are seeing your résumé exactly as you intended.
Content
We are confident that you know the basics, so we won’t bore you with an itemised list of information to include. The most important thing to keep in mind when writing your résumé is to focus on accomplishments, not job duties. You want to highlight the projects you completed and the products you created, not your day-to-day responsibilities.
Resume Writing Tips
Furthermore, whenever possible be sure to include data. For example, instead of just saying that you are “results-oriented,” specify that you have increased your company’s productivity by 15% in less than a year. Of course, it goes without saying that you must be honest and should be ready to provide evidence if asked. There are tons of articles out there that talk about the importance of including “action-verbs” in your résumé, but the truth is that nouns are what you should focus on. Your skills and achievements should take centre stage.
Leave Out…
Just as important as what you include in your résumé is what you leave out. You should always use your formal given name and not a nickname. Make sure that your email address and Skype name are professional sounding. Ideally, they should include your last name. Don’t fill up your résumé with adjectives, especially generic ones like “really”, “very”, and “highly”. Keep in mind that your potential employer will read the following phrases on every applicant’s résumé: hard-worker, team-player, strong work ethic, problem-solver. You want to stand out from the pack, so if you can’t bear to delete them, make sure to include supporting details as back-up.
Whether you’re looking for your first job or are changing careers, these tips will help you perfect your résumé. You’ll be landing that dream job in no time!