Get an Effective Resume With These 5 Pointers

Your resume is the one thing standing between you and a job interview with the company you love. To make it over that hill, you need to put together a brief yet compelling document that tells employers who you are and what you can bring to the table. Use these five tips to take your resume to the next level.

1. Customize It

Your resume should always be tailored for the specific position and specific company, you're applying for. If it's generic, a hiring manager is likely to throw it away without giving it a second glance. Look carefully over the company's job description and website, and pull out any key terms that are emphasized. These are the terms that are most important to the employer and are probably the keywords that your resume may be scanned for as part of the vetting process. By including some of the same language the employer uses, you are showing them how good of a fit you are for their organization.

2. Add a Summary

Instead of a redundant and outdated objective statement, add a brief career summary to the top of your resume. In the summary, mention your strongest attributes to catch the hiring manager's attention. Your career summary should include major accomplishments, goals you achieved or any awards or recognition you earned within your industry.

3. Focus on Achievements, Not Duties

Many resumes list job titles, with a few bullet points underneath each one that detail the day to day responsibilities of the position. The problem with this is that it's incredibly boring and pointless to read. Your potential employer doesn't care that you answered the phones and opened the mail. What they care about are achievements: how did you improve a work process? Did an idea you came up with save the company money? These are the types of highlights you should be including in your resume.

4. Add Facts and Figures

Wherever possible, try to include quantifiable data to bolster your achievements. Instead of saying you increased sales within your department, really break it down into hard numbers. A 15 percent sales increase over a 10-week period sounds much more impressive than just "increased sales last year."

5. Keep it Simple

Once you've nailed down the right content for your resume, you need to consider the aesthetics. Keep it as simple and easy-to-read as possible. Use a 12-point simple font, such as Arial or Calibri. If you have too much experience for one page, that's okay, but try to keep the document under two pages. Check, double-check, then check again for spelling and grammar errors. Have a friend or family member look at it as well, as a fresh pair of eyes can sometimes catch less obvious mistakes.

Your resume is the first line of communication between you and potential employers. A resume that is tailored to the company and position, includes a compelling career summary and focuses on quantifiable achievements in a simple, easy-to-read format is likely to grab attention and get a response from recruiters.

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