In our recent article, we talked about making a grand first impression. People that can make great first impressions generally find themselves in better situations and living better lives. Meaningful conversations, long-lasting relationships, and even employment opportunities are all known to be generated from the beauty of a great first impression. These impressions are critical in the hiring process, as a job interview is the first impression to a hiring manager and the resume is the first impression to an applicant tracking system (ATS). To round things out to make sure your 2019 career goals come to fruition, here are some Resume Do’s from the Simple Resume Team.
Use Bullet Points
Bullet points are quintessential elements that are needed within a basic resume format. Choosing to create a bulleted list of your accomplishments within your resume instead of writing in paragraph form helps to create aesthetic appeal and break up your text. With bullet points, you have the opportunity to organize, highlight, and separate your skills, accomplishments, and job duties. Make sure you do your research and create your basic resume outline with bullet points containing industry-specific action verbs to ensure you are making an argument for yourself as a good hire!
Optimize Your Simple Resume
Resumes have to be optimized strategically in order to make it to hiring managers’ desks. This is due to the fact that applicant tracking system (ATS) technology is now being implemented by a substantially great amount of companies worldwide. The key to optimization is plugging in keywords to ensure that your resume stands out amongst your competition (see how our services can create a simple and professional resume for job search effectiveness). Study the job description, take note of specific keywords that are mentioned, and make an effort to include them in your resume.
Quantify Your Accomplishments
Career accomplishments have to be quantified in order to be considered qualifiable for many of today’s positions. Noting and detailing your stats in the duration of your employment gives hiring managers an idea of your dedication and work ethic. It shows a level of commitment and promise as an employee. Quantifying your accomplishments can mean a ticket into the hiring manager’s office for an interview! Quantify your resume as best as you can will give you the best chance at landing employment opportunities.
Check your Grammar
By far the most obvious and worst mistake you can make on a simple resume. Now that you’ve misspelled words such as “organized” and “directed”, you can kiss that job goodbye. It’s not that the hiring manager doesn’t believe you can spell. We all make mistakes. He believes that you don’t know how to check your work and will submit a project even if it contains fallacies. Do your resume and job aspirations a favor and check your grammar, it may end up being a job offer in the end.
A first impression is everything. People that are skilled at making great first impressions generally find themselves living better lives. A great first impression can generate meaningful conversations, long-lasting relationships, and even employment opportunities. First impressions are critical in the hiring process, as a job interview is the first impression to a hiring manager and the resume is the first impression to the applicant tracking system (ATS). Having said that, in our edition of Resume Do’s and Don’ts, here are some Resume Don’ts from the Simple Resume Team.
1st, 2nd, or 3rd Person
How about “no person”. A simple resume should never have any pronouns within its text. This is a simple resume law. The resume should serve as a summary or an introduction of you as an applicant, not a narrative or autobiography. Ex: In his previous position, Cory analyzed complex reports and developed a company strategy for optimal efficiency. When writing his accomplishment, instead of beginning the sentence as “Cory analyzed complex reports…”, “He analyzed complex reports…”, or “I analyzed complex reports…”, Cory should start the sentence off as “Analyzed complex reports…”.
Unemployed
Don’t give any impression that you were unemployed for any period of time. Unemployment raises red flags to hiring managers. They may wonder what have you been doing in the meantime, why you were unemployed, and your overall work ethic. Use a filler such as any personal project or volunteer work that can show that you were busy and cover any employment gaps.
“References Available Upon Request”
Employers will ask for references if they need them. As an applicant, you are already expected to have references available upon request. Implementing this phrase in your resume takes up a valuable amount of space. Avoid stating the obvious.
Negative Words In Your Simple Resume
This should go without saying. Listing your limitations will automatically disqualify you from any position in the job market. Avoid saying what you “can’t” do and focus on what you “can” do. Detail your accomplishments and capabilities to elevate your image as a great potential hire.
Too Much Info
Including any sensitive personal information is not only an instant disqualification, but it doesn’t do any good in your job hopes. In fact, it can do you much more harm than good, as you will leave yourself vulnerable to identity theft and someone having your information in their hands. Don’t include your date of birth, social security number, or personal interests in your resume. Keep it simple and avoid doing this on your resume.
