Your resume is arguably the most important component of your job application. If it's not performing the way you'd like, consider a rework. Great resumes include the right information to get hiring managers to call you. Make sure yours includes the following six elements.
1. Career Summary
A career summary, sometimes called an executive summary, is a good replacement for your outdated and redundant objective statement. Placed at the top of your resume, the career summary consists of a few brief sentences that present your strongest skills, interests and experiences, while explaining what makes you unique in your industry.
2. Keywords
Many companies use applicant tracking software to scan through hundreds of resumes at a time, so if your resume doesn't include keywords, you're doing yourself a disservice. To get an idea of what you need to include, look carefully over the job description. Use the same words and phrases listed in the job description to describe your own skills and experience. If the job description isn't helpful, just target common industry terms.
3. Certifications
Always include relevant certifications in your resume. Don't let all those hours of training and exams go to waste. Including certifications shows hiring managers that you are motivated and committed enough to your career to seek out additional training. It places you a step above other candidates.
4. Social Media Links
Many companies like to perform a quick online check of applicants. Help the process along by including links to your blog, LinkedIn profile or website in your resume. Make sure these pages are up to date and preferably relevant to the job you're applying for. The information listed on these links should also match the information on your resume exactly. You want to present a consistent brand across all platforms.
5. White space
Your resume should contain plenty of white space to present a clean, polished appearance to the reader. A resume that is too text-heavy becomes laborious to read. You don't need to include every job you've ever had, just the strongest and most relevant experience that relates to the company's needs for the open position. Using a standard font size, even the most experienced candidate should be able to pack a punch into one page.
6. Contact information
Your resume should list your contact information prominently to make it easy for the hiring manager to contact you. Always list your phone number and email address right at the top, and make sure they are up to date. Listing your physical address is usually not necessary.
A well-composed resume opens doors to the jobs you want. Give your resume a second look to make sure it includes the right information for hiring managers to correctly assess your background and skills — and call you for an interview.
Photo courtesy of pakorn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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