Resume writing is a skill that every business professional should have. It’s a vital piece of information about your work history that can either help you stand out amongst the competition or can severely hinder you from incredible job prospects. Often times, recruiters and hiring managers stumble across a resume or two that has all of the potential but is executed in such a way that displays sloppiness, disorganization, and grammatical errors that immediately deters them away from said resume. You must keep in mind, that this document is your ice-breaker for the hiring managers or recruiters and even though you may be great, if your resume isn’t, you won’t stand a chance.

• Alter your Resume to Better Fit the Job Description- With certain job sites such as LinkedIn or ZipRecruiter, submitting a resume is extremely easy with those convenient “one-click apply” options. While this can save you time, it can also work against you if you’re not careful. Let's face it, whether you are unemployed or miserable in your current role, finding a new job takes a lot of time an effort. It can easily be said that you can put the same amount of hours in a full-time role. But you need to always remember that although it takes WORK, your resume is one of your main opportunities to showcase your skills and experience from job to job. Job descriptions can vary. Even though titles are identical, the responsibilities within a role can be completely different. Basically, one resume does not fit all, you may have to tweak your resume for each position if you’re serious about it. When you read the description, you want to align yourself with the listing as accurately and honestly as you can. Indeed.com mentions using similar keywords in your resume as the description to really connect and elevate your resume to their needs. Take the extra time to alter your resume, because it may accelerate your chances of getting an opportunity to work in a role you'll love.

• Maintain a Professional Layout and Style- When writing your resume, be sure to use professional fonts, proper headings, bullet points, etc. Everything should be super navigable, clear, and relevant to your work history. MicrosoftWord, Google Drive, and similar systems offer resume layouts so all you have to do is plug-in your information. Resumecoach.com lists some great resume layout tips:

  • Use headers to make the essential information easy to find.

  • Never use an illegible font.

  • Instead use a common, formal font type and size, such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman, size 10 or 12 to maintain a professional aesthetic.

  • Use single line spacing and justify all texts with a left margin.

  • Use bullet points to describe responsibilities and accomplishments in your work experience etc.

  • Keep the same typeface and emphasizing feature throughout for each particular detail. E.g. If you put the company name in bold, italic or underlined for one employer, all employers’ names should maintain this style.

• Only Include Relevant Information- When writing a resume, it’s important to keep the job you’re applying for in mind. For example, if you’re applying for a General Manager position, 10 years as a waitress or 2 months as a nanny may not be details that are the most relevant to that particular position. You want to highlight your relevance, not the irrelevant. Highlight certain skills such as leadership, communicative strengths, or organization. Think of what you can bring to the table that would make you a great match for the job. Another way to look at this point is to see how you can use skills gained at a past job to increase the relevance. For example, if your work history is strictly waitressing and you’re looking to enter corporate America, consider what you learned during your time as a waitress. Relay pertinent skills such as ‘time-management’, ‘customer-service’, or ‘high-energy’. All of these skills are relevant across the board for many jobs and should be highlighted on your resume.

• Try to Keep Everything on 1-2 Pages- This next point has been debated by many, so it’s up to you to take the advice or leave it. Many sources say a resume should be short and sweet and under 2 pages. Some sources such as TheMuse say a resume should only be 1 page. Why is this so? Statistically, hiring managers or recruiters are only going to skim your resume especially if they have hundreds to dredge through and a short window of time. By keeping everything tight with a page limit, it leaves only the most pertinent information on the page and all of the extra information off the page. If you feel as though you can’t possibly keep it under 2 pages, consider cutting some of your content. TheMuse links a great article about how to do so here.

• Have Another Set of Eyes Look at Your Resume- This fifth and final point should be a no-brainer, but have someone else review your work! Oftentimes, when writing and editing your work your eyes skip over mistakes. Wired has a great article on the subject of proof-reading your own work if you’re interested. Back to the point, proofreading your own work, especially in a time crunch, can lead to errors across the page that you won’t catch, but that hiring manager will! When writing a resume, phone a friend. Have someone you know and trust review your resume for any mistakes, inconsistencies, or formatting problems. This ensures your peace of mind and will send off a resume with a great chance of moving forward to the next round of interviews.

The next time you find yourself applying for a job, be sure to spruce up your old resume or create a new one! Follow these 5 Resume Writing Tips and you prepare to land that interview you have been working towards. Good Luck!