Today’s employment market is highly competitive. Your resume is fighting for attention from busy people to get you to the interview stage of your job search.
Research shows that interview decisions are often made in less than 30 seconds. Sometimes the decision is made in 3 seconds flat.
As your resume contains a lot of information, it is important that the reader quickly finds the facts that will convince them to interview you. You can guide employers and recruitment managers through your resume to the information they want to know by structuring your resume and keeping to a simple format.
Here is a simple list of dos and don’ts to help you develop a winning resume.
- Do start your resume by placing your name and contact information at the top centre of each page to make it easy for the employer to contact you for an interview.
- Don't include details that may lead to discrimination, such as gender, age, nationality and religion, unless the job advertisement indicates that these are relevant.
- Do begin your resume with a summary of your strengths. This provides a quick snapshot of what you have to offer and assists employers to place you in the short list pile. A list of 4-6 strengths using dot points will stand out.
- Don't write too much in the Career "Objective/Summary" section. A short paragraph is all that's needed here.
- Do list your employment history in reverse order, keeping in mind that recent positions will generally be the most relevant to the reader.
- Don't provide a complete list of every task you ever undertook in each position.
- Do focus on your achievements. Be specific and include things that you were personally responsible for that resulted in positive outcomes.
- Don't forget to include information that relates specifically to the position you're applying for, such as industry training and professional or academic certification.
- Do indicate that you are able to provide referee information. Some job applications request this information be included in the resume.
- Don't include a referee in your resume without checking with them first.
- Do keep to a simple format that is clean, organised and easy to read.
- Don't forget that your resume may be read online or in a printed version. Check that both versions are easy to read.
- Do check your spelling and grammar before you submit your resume. Ask someone else to check it for you too.
- Don't forget that your resume demonstrates your writing skills and your ability to communicate clearly.
