Resume Writing

What’s Hot:

Current attention is on the accuracy of Resumes in terms of statements that are outright false and those that are worded ambiguously to improve experience and skills.   Even if an applicant is successful in securing a role with an inflated resume, it is likely the role will be wrong for them and their career will be adversely affected.

Those reading a Resume are particularly interested in how it maps to the role they are recruiting – an easily followed Resume what maps to the opportunity demonstrates why the applicant should be interviewed and makes for an easier decision.  Don’t underestimate the second point – if your Resume is the 100th to be read at 10.30pm, you want the decision to be easy!

Achievements are one way to highlight a match to what the reader is looking for, from the mundane to the extraordinary.  Think through what you have achieved and have this as a key element of your Resume.

With more and more people using social networking tools like Facebook and Instagram, recruiters are looking at these sources to research applicants more often.  Your Resume is your personal marketing document, ensure it is consistent with your image across all media.

Key to a persuasive resume:

Clear: Concise: Customised

Content

• Personal details – indicate which method of communication you prefer and choose one safe from your employer’s eyes.  Include interests but ensure they are real, relevant and consistent with your application.
• Education and qualifications – include which institution they were obtained from and if you have good results, include a short summary that can be validated.
• Executive summary – write a concise overview of your career to date, the value you provide and what you are looking for.  Obviously, this should be true but you can tailor it to the application.
• Achievements – probably the most important part of the resume. These should link to your technical and behavioural strengths, be relevant to the position and cross-reference to the career history.  If you have relevant achievements outside work these may also be important. You can include these as part of the summary of each role in your career history.
• Career History – start with the most recent position first, include dates with months, explain any gaps, summarise your reporting lines and experience and give some context to the complexity of the role. Include any achievements not highlighted elsewhere and the reasons for moving employers.  If you have relevant experience outside work this may also be important.
• References – ideally include detail of referees and provide some context.  Include whether or not they can be contacted – it will make a stronger application if the recruiter can check at least one reference before offer and the earlier in the process the better.  Ensure any reference knows they will be contacted and understands the role and how their reference will impact on the result.

Layout

• Readability is fundamental to your Resume. The reader must be able to easily access the information they require and easily see why they should interview you.  Use headings and bullet points as they are easy to read and tend to shorten text.
• Customise to address the position’s requirements – reorder, extend and add to the most relevant parts.
• Write in the first person, use an easy-to-read font (for example Arial) and plain, active English and avoid in-house jargon.  Pictures are unnecessary, can make documents large and may mean your Resume is undeliverable.
• Your Resume must be long enough to make an impact and short enough to maintain attention.  We prefer two pages, three pages are fine, five a maximum.
• If you use a web-page as a Resume ensure it looks right when printed.
• Some clever presentation techniques can be fine, for example charts, but the recruiter wants an easy read so make sure the context is clear and relevant.

If you would like help with your Resume, please visit Right Resumes – www.rightresumes.com.au