Creating a Winning Resume

For most jobs, a resume is the first thing hiring managers look at when they’re considering candidates for a position. A sloppy or unprofessional resume can land you in the circular file quicker than just about any other mistake in the hiring process. To create a resume that makes employers want to hire you, consider these tips.

Use the employer’s keywords. When applying for a position, carefully read the job description. Know every skill or qualification the employer wants, then look at your resume. Many employers use tools like Taleo that parse resumes for certain keywords. If your resume lacks those keywords, it won’t even make it to the eyes of a hiring manager. Try to rephrase the text of your resume to include some of the keywords. If you can’t, maybe that position isn’t right for you. 

Eliminate extraneous information. In most circumstances, your resume should only be one page long. You can leave off the life guarding job you had that summer at the community pool, even if it gave you “experience working in a team environment.” Make sure everything on your resume is directly applicable to the skills and qualifications the employer lists in the job posting. 

Use specific language. There’s nothing more useless on a resume than generic buzzwords and vague job descriptions. All they do is take up valuable space and waste a hiring manager’s time. “Performed various duties as needed,” is not a job description. What duties did you perform? If you worked as an assistant and got coffee and answered phones write, “Performed personal errands for upper-level management,” and “Provided phone support in a busy office environment.” This gives hiring managers a more accurate idea of your duties and capabilities. 

Don’t be afraid do brag. Your resume is a sales pitch, pure and simple, and if you don’t sell yourself, no one else will. That being said, there’s a difference between bragging and lying. By no means should you fabricate positions you never held or awards you never won; in the Internet age everything is online and verifiable, and the last thing you want is to get a conditional job offer rescinded once an employer finds out you lied on your resume. 

Proofread, then proofread again. Having spelling and grammatical errors is a surefire way to get your resume trashed. You can’t claim to be “detail oriented and professional” if you confuse their and there or misspell conscientious. Before submitting your resume for a position, look it over as many times as you can stand, then e-mail it to a friend or colleague. Having a set of fresh eyes will hopefully alert you to mistakes you missed.

Know your information cold. Be prepared to explain everything on your resume in detail. From the moment you submit your resume, be prepared to speak with a hiring manager. You might get a call to clarify a few points on your resume in what might amount to a phone interview. Don’t blow it buy being unfamiliar with what you wrote. Think back to the job description and go through your resume and memorize ways to link your experience back to the qualities the employer is looking for.

These are just a few tips that will help you craft a winning resume. If you take away one thing, it’s make yourself relevant. It might take a little creativity, but it’s possible to make any experience pertinent to the desired qualifications of a job opening.


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