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Basic Format
Resumes are most effective when they are in chronological order with your most recent job history listed first (including month, year of employment, city and state)
Avoid Subjective Statements
Think about how many times a day a recruiter encounters the following statements on a resume:
- "Great leadership skills"
- "Excellent customer service skills"
- "Strong verbal skills"
Anyone can write that on a resume (and many people do). Recruiters and hiring managers see this so much that it’s often skipped over or completely ignored. Instead of wasting precious space on commonly used phrases, set yourself apart from the competition by backing up statements with specific, quantifiable accomplishments. With a few simple adjustments you can transform a lackluster resume into something that will grab the attention of the hiring manager:
"Great leadership skills"
Managed a team of 3 engineers to a successful turnaround in technology which led to a 25% reduction in costs.
"Excellent Customer Service skills"
Handled over 150 calls daily for a Fortune 500 call center.
"Strong verbal skills "
Closed 6 strategic accounts billing in excess of $2M annually.
Ask your Recruiter
Before a recruiter submits your resume to a particular job, ask them for suggestions about how you can tailor your resume to the company’s preferences. Recruiters deal with the hiring managers daily and have a good understanding of the types of resumes that lead to interview requests and job placements. Our recruiters are here to help and are happy to answer any questions.
Mind the Gaps
Any employment gaps lasting longer than a few of months should be briefly explained.
Achievements-Oriented
Minimize expressions like “duties included” and “responsible for”. Your resume should not just be a list of the tasks you performed on previous jobs. Use your resume to market yourself by listing the job accomplishments. Include anything you have done that helped your employers make money, decrease costs, save time, solve a problem, expand the business, or retain/attract customers.
Use PAR Statements
PAR stands for Problem-Action-Results. When describing accomplishments, illustrate a problem that you encountered, explain what you did to fix or improve the issue, and finally, describe the results and how they benefited the company.
Tailor your Resume
Read the job description and include specific examples in your resume that relate to the pertinent skills. Every skill in the job description should be addressed and clearly reflected somewhere in your resume. If you don’t have experience with a specific requirement listed in the job description, then list something you have done that is similar.
Use of Acronyms
Spell out any acronyms and be sure the average reader clearly understands technical jargon. Keep in mind that recruiters are searching by keywords, and some acronyms may have multiple uses. For example, if you have a Top Secret Security Clearance make sure the word “Clearance” is somewhere on your resume instead of just listing TSSC.
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