5 Tips to Make Your Resume Writing More Effective!
Things will never change – resume writing is a difficult task for job searchers of every level of experience; even top-level professionals still hire freelancers to write their resumes for them! But you don’t have to “cheat” the system with a contracted resume, you can create a powerful one and earn the job on your own merits with five simple tips!
1. Utilize White Space
Resume writing gets cramped very quickly – seekers with lots of experience never like to leave a detail out. Unfortunately, busy recruiters rarely read crowded resumes. Maximize the efficiency of your application by leaving plenty of white space in the margins, underneath distinct sections, and in between columns.
2. Avoid the Use of Pronouns
Using words like “I”, “me”, and “my” is just a waste of space; recruiters already know that your resume is about you! Use action phrases in place of pronouns – words like “achieved”, “improved”, or “built”. These words make it easy for an interviewer to skim your resume, which is exactly the type of efficiency that recruiters love to see.
3. Use Bullets or Dashes
Don’t use long sentences unless absolutely necessary. Windy or pretentious resume writing loses a recruiter’s attention fast. Use bullets or dash marks to break up small short lists of achievements or qualifications. Then again, don’t go overboard by simplifying statements that need detailed explanations.
4. Describe Results
Don’t tell them what you did, tell them how you did it and what it accomplished. Be specific – if you exceeded target sales projections, make sure to specify demonstrative figures. If you saved the company money, name a general dollar amount. You cannot get credit for what you do not claim!
5. Do Not Mention References
Job recruiters already know that you will provide references upon request – there is no need to specify that you will adhere to such a commonly accepted practice. “Reference upon request” resume statements look amateurish. The only exception is when a job recruiter specifically asks for the information upfront.