Resume Writing Tips to Take your Resume to the Next Level

Regardless if you are heading into your first job hunt or you’re a seasoned veteran in the world of career searching, you know that resumes reign; just about every employer requires a resume to accompany your job application. A resume is a snapshot summary, and in most cases, your

first impression to let the hiring manager get to know you, your experience, and why you would fit the position. That is why writing an exceptional resume is a crucial part of the job hunt process and is quite honestly your key to opening your door of opportunity. With so much emphasis placed on this one document, here are some of our favorite tips to help spruce up your resume.

KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid

Remember that the person making the decision to hire you is human, so it’s safe to assume no one wants to read long, drawn out resumes 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Make your interviewer happy by keeping your resume to one page, make it easy to read, and most importantly, concise. Use bullet points to your advantage so the reader can quickly skim over your resume and find exactly what they need; if you’re writing long summaries, it’s easy to miss key features about you and your experience, especially if your resume is the last one read at the end of a long work day on Friday.

Add Some Professional Flair

Just because resumes are a professional document, doesn’t mean they have to be bland. Use pops of color or unique formatting to really draw attention to your resume and make it more memorable. This tip is especially important for those of you applying for jobs that require some level of creativity, which most do. However with this in mind, don’t get crazy and end up making your resume unreadable. Keep in mind the goal of a resume is to capture interest, make it easy for the reader to determine your fit, and represent you as an employee.

Highlight Accomplishments

Please, please, please don’t just copy and paste your job description from your previous positions. It tells the reader nothing about you, it’s often littered with “fluff” words to sound more appealing and fill space, and doesn’t provide the hiring manager with an answer to the “why should I hire you” question. Instead, take time to highlight what you had accomplished during your time working that position while describing your day-to-day tasks. If possible, quantify your accomplishments to help the reader really grasp the difference you made.

Pro Tip: Pay attention to the skills you see over and over again in the job descriptions of the positions you’re applying for and add those words into your resume. This will make it easier for the hiring manager to check

off the boxes they’re looking for in a candidate and make that decision to move you along to the next step in the hiring process.

All unique tricks aside, most importantly, we encourage you to really take your time when crafting your resume; write it, step away, rewrite it, have a few friends and family members look it over, then rewrite again. Keep updating your resume and accept feedback when it is given to you by interviewers, no matter what stage you are at in your career search, you can always improve your resume.

If you’re in the market for a new job, join us at our next career fair! Visit our events page for more information: https://www.azhireme.com/careerfair