Ready to start looking for a job? Whether you are changing jobs or entering the job market for the first time, a professional resume builder service can be a fantastic asset, providing you with a resume that attracts attention. However, if you decide to write your own resume, the following five tips can make the difference between scoring an interview or having your resume end up in the rejection pile.
1. Take Stock Of Yourself
Before you begin your job hunt, it is an excellent idea to sit down and make a few lists about yourself. In one column, write down your educational experience. In another column, write down your work history. In a third column, write down all of your skills. This includes concrete skills such as software programs with which you are proficient and specialized training or certifications that you might possess.
In the fourth column, create a list of more abstract skills that you possess, such as leadership abilities, conflict resolution skills and your ability to work as part of a team. Whenever possible, write down some examples that clearly showcase these skills. For instance, if you consider yourself a self-starter, perhaps you will list a few examples of innovative projects or ideas that you presented and planned.
In some cases, a skill such as management prowess, can be expressed easily on your resume. For instance, it would be wise to include that you “Managed a 10-person sales team and consistently exceeded monthly sales goals.” For more abstract qualities, these might not need to be included on your resume, but you can bring them up during the interview process or perhaps in a cover letter. For instance, when a hiring manager asks about your strengths, you can include a few of these skills and provide an example from your work experience.
2. Read The Job Description Carefully
Not every job will be a great match for you, so be honest with yourself when you are searching through job descriptions. If you don’t really have the specialized training or skills for the position, then it might not be a good fit. If you notice that many of the jobs you would like require skills that you do not possess currently, take a class, read a book or attend a seminar and learn those skills. Hiring managers will be impressed with your initiative.
On the other hand, if you do have many of the qualifications needed for a specific job, be sure to clearly use some of the keywords featured in the job description. For instance, if the job requires certain certifications or specific software knowledge, be sure this information stands out on your resume. Most hiring managers quickly skim through each resume specifically looking for the keywords they placed on the job description.
3. Don’t Go Overboard
While you might have plenty to say about your qualifications, your experience and your sparkling personality, your resume needs to be short and sweet. If a hiring manager only spends half a minute glancing at each resume and yours includes multiple, verbose pages, it’s unlikely that yours will be placed in the interview pile. Resumes should rarely extend beyond one page and never beyond two pages.
4.Consistency Counts
Too often, we see resumes that include a myriad of fonts, bullets, dashes and horrendous combinations of boldface and italic wording. A resume builder expert knows that keeping the style simple, clean and consistent is always the best way to go. Don’t try to get cute with fun typefaces, and don’t use bullets in one section and dashes in another.
5. The Cover Letter Question
Do you need a cover letter or not? This is a question that puzzles many potential employees, and there a few possible answers. If the job description asks for a resume but specifically states that you should not include a cover letter, then the answer is simple – don’t include the cover letter. If you ignore this missive, the hiring manager won’t see you as an overachiever, but rather a person who cannot or will not follow directions.
If there is no direction either way, it is fine to either include or exclude the cover letter. If you have a great cover letter and there is no restriction against sending it along with your resume, then do so. Obviously, if a job posting asks for a cover letter, you should include one. These can be tricky to write well, so we highly recommend that you use a professional resume builder service for your cover letter.
While all of these resume builder tips are helpful, it’s still an excellent idea to let a professional resume writer tackle this important task. After all, a high-quality, professional resume specialist knows how to craft eye-catching resumes and a pro won’t make any errors. By hiring a pro, you will have the peace of mind in knowing that your resume is the best it can be, and that your resume showcases the skills that employers want.
At Top 5 Resume Writers, we have reviewed hundreds of professional resume builder sites, and can recommend a select few that consistently produce high-quality, dynamic resumes. Before you hire a professional resume writer, take a look at our recommendations and select one of our top choices.
