Whether it’s a new job after a bout of “no job” or just poking your head into the job market to see what’s out there, the best tool in your kit is going to be your resumé. It’s the one thing you should always have on hand – ready to go (that and business cards!) and the one thing that so many people HATE writing (and sometimes reading, too!). The best resumés are quick to cut to the chase, and tailored to your target audience.
There are so many sites out there with great advice for resumé writing – most notably, not using personal pronouns, spell checking and proofreading. Fewer sites talk about typeface, and how the aesthetic layout of your resume creates a visual impact.
Lifeclever has a few tips for rethinking the graphic design of your resume:
By using a few simple typographic tips, they’ve created a visually striking and easy-to-skim document.
Many sites stress the idea of not having too much or too little information. I’ve found that mine often has too much information and so I’ve sorted mine out into 2 different documents. If I want a writing gig, I have a technical/writing resumé. If I want a sales/media gig, I have a resumé tailored to that. Prioritize the most important points for your document’s specified objective. Know the buzzwords related to that objective and use them wisely (don’t over-do it).
Keep updating it – constantly. Say you’ve taken a class related to your objective; add that into the education section. Or maybe you’ve taken on a new project that shows your leadership skills; that’s more important than telling your future employer you were a barista in college. Highlight those achievements and discard all “duties”. Your future employer wants to know what you can achieve, not what you had to do. New relevant achievements need to be listed – your personal growth often spells growth for your career and your future company.
Stay positive. So maybe you have the schooling but not quite enough experience, or maybe you have all the experience, but no formal document to show for it. It’s still worth submitting a resumé – the worst that can happen is no response and the best is that you get a call for an interview. If you feel you lack the skills, take classes and put yourself where you need to be to get the job of your dreams. Keep that document updated with all your new (relevant) learning experiences and achievements.
The new year and new decade is the prefect time to aim for where you want to be (or what you want to be when you grow up). You should have a bad-ass document to show for it!
Great post! I definitely agree about keeping the non-relevant job responsibilities to a minimum. I often have problems keeping my resume to one page, and I’ll be taking courses this year that make that even more difficult. Your post definitely helped! I’ll cut out the irrelevant and put the classes in there instead!
.-= Red´s last blog ..Litter boxes on the brain =-.
Thanks for the response, Red! I’d love seeing what your class has to offer. Maybe you have one resume with all your info – like a master list that you can pick and choose from to make your relevant resume document?
This is the perfect article at the perfect time. I have to be honest, I’m so sick of looking at my resume that I’ve been like “f’ it” and NO I haven’t received any calls not that I think they’re related AT ALL.
@Hayden Tompkins I felt that very same way.
I like the idea of a master document – one that has everything you’ve done on it, that you can pick and choose from when tailoring individual resumes.
.-= eemusings´s last blog ..The money shuffle =-.
YES!! It is so important to tailor the resume to whatever position you’re applying for.
Ahh! Another great one, B. I love a practical, fashionable, well-written blog.
.-= Alicia´s last blog ..…blanc et noir… =-.