Resume Writing Part 1: Focusing on Quality Content
Your resume is a hiring manager and/or recruiter’s introduction to you as an employee, and making a good first impression is crucial for landing that initial interview. Today’s blog will be the first installment of a three-part series focused on ensuring you’re putting your best foot forward with a resume that showcases your talents accurately, professionally, and beautifully.
Tackling resume writing is no small feat, and there’s a plethora of information online regarding where and how to focus your efforts when prepping yours to send out with applications. At EVF Management, we recommend starting with the “meat" or the content before turning your attention to other elements such as design. After all, those bullet points represent you as an employee— your skills, your experiences, your expertise— so make them count!
Our first recommendation (and admittedly the most obvious one) is to highlight relevant experience. A resume should not be one-size-fits-all. You’ll want to do a bit of research on the specific job for which you’re applying— focus on key words in the job description— and tailor your resume to showcase how your work experience matches that position’s qualifications. Don’t have much relevant experience? Don’t panic! You can pivot by turning the spotlight to your other talents and making the case for how they can assist you in performing the job duties.
Next, don’t underestimate the impact of soft skills on your resume. Which ones should you include? Check out last week’s post for further advice!
When putting together your resume, always be truthful. Dubious advice á la social media may suggest “fudging” your qualifications in order to get your foot in the door. Frankly, this is terrible guidance. Don’t get caught in a lie after landing a job, as that can lead to disappointment, job loss, and burned bridges. Be honest about your work history— gaps in employment, job losses, etc. Truthfulness will benefit you in the long run.
Finally, proofread, proofread, proofread! Grammatical errors on resumes indicate hastiness at best and laziness at worst. Take the time to check your work and enlist the help of a colleague for a second set of eyes. Hint: Reading it out loud helps you catch the errors your eyes may gloss over!
Feeling confident about the information on your resume? Great! Need some guidance on the design element? Check out next week’s blog post for some helpful tips and join our mailing list today.
