When it comes to crafting a resume that’s going to get you noticed in a competitive job market, there needs to be an equal focus on the resume essentials and the elements that best showcase you as a professional.
Here are four things your resume must include this year:
- Make yourself known.
It’s a simple thing many people miss: include your contact details in your resume (and make sure they are correct and updated). Include them in the header or footer of your resume to make sure they’re on every page. You want to make it as easy as possible for an employer or recruiter to contact you if your resume piques their interest.
If you’ve spent time building a personal brand on social media discussing topics relating to your profession then you might also want to include your social media links alongside your contact details. If you haven’t and your social media profiles aren’t what you would want a potential employer to see, in addition to not including them in your resume, you might also want to consider setting them to private.
- Make sure it’s easy on the eye
A resume that’s easy to look at is one that’s easy to read and hard to dismiss, so ensuring your resume is visually appealing and easy to scan can only help your job search.
It’s easiest to read clear, legible black font (10 to 12 point size) on a white background for high contrast, especially when a busy employer is reading their 50th resume that day.
While in some industries (creative professions for example) a cleverly designed resume is beneficial, in most instances employers don’t want to see pictures and graphics. They need the key information about your career history and your career aspirations in a simple and easy to read format. Check out SEEK’s free resume template that has been professionally designed resume that’s both functional and looks good.
- Make sure it reads well
It doesn’t matter how good it looks if your resume doesn’t read well. Potential employers are reading your resume on a screen, which can impact reading behaviour. When reading something on a screen, people are more likely to scan as they read and if they’re pressed for time, the easier it is to scan the better.
Use sub-headings so potential employers can find the information they’re looking for quickly and use bullet points to call out all of the important information. Try to keep your sentences short and sweet and cut out any unnecessary words. Using an active voice also makes your resume more engaging and impactful. For example ‘‘recognised for responsibility and proactive decisions’ is more impactful than ‘responsibility was recognized as one of my strengths.’
- Make it match the job
When employers read your resume, they’re looking to see how you meet the advertised job description. If you use the words from the job ad and description in your resume, you’re showing that you have the exact skills they’re looking for.
This is because some employers will run resumes through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which is on the look out for specific keywords (generally also included in the job ad). If they’ve mentioned a skill or requirement, use those terms to describe your own professional experience.
Lastly, once you’ve reviewed your resume for these four essentials, make sure you add your new and improved resume to your SEEK Profile today and let opportunity come to you.
