Has this happened to you?
A company you’ve had your eye on for a while suddenly has an opening. You are perfect for it. Not only are you perfect for it but itโs the perfect role for you. More seniority, increase in pay, remote work options, family-oriented, and so on.
You open up your documents and realized you haven’t touched your resume in eight years. Ack!
It can be overwhelming to know where to begin.
Here are a few tips to help you get started.
First, work from your most recent information, gathering what your job titles have been, what youโve actually done in these roles, and what your career progression has been in those eight years. List your daily responsibilities, and what you were brought in to do.
Next, here are the top five things to quickly address:
๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐. What impact did you have on the company? How did your role impact the bottom-line? What contributions did you make? Were you a decision-maker? Provide examples.
๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ. Numbers and percentages prove your quantifiable contributions and success. A chart or graph is a great visual and works well if you have strong numbers. Have you helped increase revenue? Expanded the client base? Come up with a solution that cut costs, reduced risk, or played a key role in something? Talk about it and use numbers, when possible.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด. While some advanced formatting and graphic formatting is visually appealing, don’t clutter up your resume so much that it turns the reader off. Keep the format clean and consistent. Add bold where needed to differentiate daily responsibilities from accomplishments or to point out a key company name, etc. Finessing your format is so important. Having the right amount of formatting in combination with strong content creates a visually impactful and interesting read.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ. The no. 1 complaint I hear fromย recruiters is that the candidates applying for jobs aren’t a fit. Make sure you have the skills necessary for the position. If you donโt, donโt try to squeeze yourself into a role that isnโt meant for you. It only annoys the recruiters, and your resume will get permanently tossed.
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด! This is your chance to sell yourself and show what you can do. It’s OK to talk yourself up. You’ve earned it. You are the product, so show off what youโve done and how what you did is unique and valuable to the next company. This is not the time to be shy or to step down and let someone else take the credit for what youโve done. Strut your stuff!
Once youโve got these basics covered, writing the rest of your resume should flow pretty easily for you. As always, let me know if you have any questions. Iโm happy to help!