Making the Most of Your Résumé - 6 Tips for Strong Responses
“Hint: The quicker the “reader” can get a grasp of who the applicant is, the better.”
Imagine you’re hiring for a role with your organization, and you have 100 résumés to sift through. What would you need to see that would grab your attention? Hint: The quicker the “reader” can get a grasp of who the applicant is, the better. To be clear, I used the word “sift” with intention, because no one really reads them.
One of the reasons I went into coaching is to work with people through change. We may know what we want, but the path to get there can be wonky and unknown. This is especially true for career transition. It’s easy to get discouraged through this change, and there is so much that is out of your control. Are there job openings that fit your goals? How long will it take for an employer to reach out? What is your competition? These unknowns can send us into a downward spiral of doom and discouragement. So, what do you do? First, control what you can control. That starts with your résumé.
I must have screened over 1,000 résumés in my career. I have also been on the other side of the fence and coached people through résumé writing, interviewing, and negotiating. With all I have seen, I feel compelled to share with you some general best practices and tips.
6 Tips on Better Résumés
1. The job description is your best friend. Your résumé should speak to the job description. This is especially true if you are changing careers. Skills are always transferrable. Yes, ALWAYS. It’s your job to showcase that and make the connection for the reader.
2. You need a solid branding statement that – you guessed it – speaks to the role you are applying to. Ask yourself, “How does my brand fit into this role, and what would the person reading this want to see?” Your résumé is prime real estate, and a strong, pointed branding statement will give the reader an idea of who you are within seconds of looking at your résumé. Your branding statement is the carrot that entices the person to read further.
3. A résumé is not just a list of tasks you are/were responsible for, but so much more! What are your successes? What were the RESULTS of the work that you did?
4. Formatting – CANVA or similarly formatted résumés are fine if you are handing them out in person, but for electronic purposes, stick with Word docs or PDFs. CANVA does not “speak” to applicant tracking software for the most part. Also, I find that the arrangement of info on CANVA résumés is hard to follow. I’ve seen a list of skill sets in the bottom right corner, and I have no idea why. There is little “flow” in the ones I have seen. Remember, you want to make grasping the information easy, otherwise, the reader may miss things. Your résumé should be two pages MAX!
5. PUT IN THE WORK. Yes, it is tedious. But this is something that is in your control when so many other things are not. If you need some direction, there are lots of professionals. Hire a professional. Don’t ask your friend who is good at writing. Résumés are so much more than grammar and punctuation! (But also use your friend who is good at writing to review grammar and punctuation!)
6. Your résumé should not have a picture attached. An employer will see what you look like when they interview you. Of course, if you have a LinkedIn profile, you can put the personalized link on your résumé, and they will see your picture there. And yes, you should have a LinkedIn - if not for looking for work, then for networking and keeping up with connections. Your résumé should contain only pertinent information and the way that you look is not (should not be) important.
There is so much more regarding résumé writing, but those are the big things based on what I have seen recently. If you are interested in hearing how coaching can support you through your transition, whether it’s with your current organization or into a new industry, grab some time on my calendar! https://thesparkmill.as.me/meetingwithAngela