Your resume is the first point of contact that you will have with the company of your dreams, thus it is of the utmost importance to put your best foot forward. Generally, recruiters and hiring managers will only spend about 7 seconds to decide if they are going to move forward with you. Here are some lesser known tips on how to edit your resume so that you have a chance to impress the prospective company in those few short seconds.
- Include your address if it works in your favor.
If you are applying for a job near the city you live, including your address might show the company that you are ready to work right away. If you are applying for a job in a different area, leaving your address off might be beneficial. If you need to relocate the company might assume that you would require relocation assistance that the company may not have in their budget to pay out, or there could be a local candidate who doesn’t require extra fees.
- Be a name dropper.
While this may seem uncouth in day to day life, dropping the names of well-known clients or companies that you have done business with will be sure to get the attention of recruiters or hiring managers.
- Utilize your performance reviews.
Previous performance reviews might not be the first place you look when thinking of updating your resume, but it can be helpful to determine what the important job functions, and accomplishments were. Be sure to add these to your resume.
- Don’t go overboard with keywords.
Keywords are important, they could very well be the reason that your resume is getting looked at by the hiring team since most companies use a keyword scanning software. But don’t get too crazy with it, “keyword stuffing” doesn’t help your resume.
- Use common sense email etiquette.
Do not use your current work email, or an email address that is overly personal or inappropriate. Stick with something that is professional, based on your name, to make a good impression.
- When it comes to skills, quality over quantity.
Do not put common skills such as Microsoft, Mac and PC proficient on your resume, these might be looked at as filler for the skills section of your resume. Include more impactful skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
- Choose to share social accounts strategically.
Including social media Accounts is becoming more common, but be aware of the types of accounts that you share. “But it’s important to distinguish between professional accounts—like a LinkedIn profile or Instagram account you manage for work—and non-professional ones, like your personal Twitter or Facebook account.”
- Use hobbies to your advantage.
Not all hobbies need to take up valuable space on a resume, but if you include things like running a marathon it shows things about your character like, discipline and determination. OR if you have a blog related to something in your field it shows creativity and genuine interest and passion in your work.
- Skip generic descriptors.
“hardworking” “proactive” “detail oriented” While these are great characteristics to possess, they show up all too often on resumes. Be more specific and tailor them to the position you are applying for.
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