Your resume creates a potential employer’s first impression of you, and it determines, in many cases, whether or not you are called for an interview. To ensure your resume gives the best possible view of your work, check these six items before sending your resume to an employer:
- Dates and Updates. Does your resume include your most recent work, including any new volunteer positions, projects, or education you’ve taken on since you reviewed it last? Also, double-check the dates – are they all correct?
- The Right Resume for This It’s tempting to recycle resumes, but to grab a potential employer’s attention you’ll need a resume that demonstrates you are the perfect fit for this job. Take some time to review the job posting and revise your resume so it highlights the specific skills and accomplishments the employer is looking for.
- Concrete Details. Don’t just list your duties at your previous jobs – list what you accomplished. Use concrete, specific numbers and data whenever possible. “Greatly increased customer base” doesn’t sound as impressive as “Increased customer base by 40 percent in nine months.”
- Contact Information. Make sure your name, address, telephone number, and email address are typed correctly. You don’t want to miss an interview invitation because your telephone number or email contained a typo!
- Are the margins uniform? Are all the headings, subheadings, and text in the same font, and is the formatting consistent (for instance, are all the headings bold and all the text regular)? Hold your resume at arm’s length – if you have to squint to read it, the print may be too small for a hiring manager to review it comfortably.
- Grammar and Spelling. Read your resume carefully. Reread it. Read it again. Ask several trusted friends and your recruiter to read it. It’s easy for our own eyes to start skipping over mistakes – it’s tougher for a person who has read the document only once to miss an error. Make sure your resume is perfect before sending it off, especially if your cover letter claims you are “detail oriented” or the job requires your writing to be impeccable.
At ExecuTeam, our experienced recruiters specialize in helping job seekers find the right company for their personality and career goals. Contact us today to learn more about our great job opportunities in Houston