How To Optimize Your Resume

Resumes are often seen, and treated, as nothing more than laundry-lists of responsibilities from previous jobs. Add to that some of your successes and what you have is a serviceable illustration of what you have accomplished as a worker, but will it get you noticed? No. The purpose of this article is to help you come up with a resume that will grab the attention of your future employer. It is also meant to show how far resumes have come as a whole and what language is best to use so that your employer can see just how valuable you are.

What makes a good resume?

To answer that question simply and honestly, we must put ourselves in the perspective of the person who could decide to hire us or not. What might sound interesting to you and proud to mention, could be dry and boring to others, not because of the weight of your accomplishments but because you are not presenting them properly.

To start with; you have to tailor your resume to the type of position you are applying to. Be consistent with your format and content. By doing this you can highlight certain experiences you want your employer to see over others. Your resume must reflect the skills your employer would value, that much is obvious.

One tip that I would personally recommend is that you should make one big document where you write down all your jobs, responsibilities, experience, education, your complete work history. With this, you can just pull out what you think should go on certain versions of your resume and write them in.

• Some ways to assure a good, effective resume is as follows:
• Your formatting is kept consistent (same font and style)
• Keep your resume to just one page.
• Be fact-based (clarity and quantitative results.)
• Give concrete examples of your expertise.
• Keep a concise and organized work/professional history (be simple.)
• Edit your resume to the qualifications in the job you are applying for (customize your resume to fit the job.)

Your resume, above all else, should be accessible, easy to understand. If your employer wants to find out something about you, then they should be able to find it in your resume. But what separates a good resume from a great one is presentation. Be detailed without going overboard, treat it like a summary of your expertise, not just what you did at the job but how the business benefited from your actions.

To make an example, don’t just say “I secured grant funding of 20,000 dollars for our community youth center,” instead, if space allows, you say “Through excellent writing ability and critical thinking skills I secured grant funding of 20,000 dollars for our community youth center that helped them to develop leaderships skills through writing for Vox.”

Depending on the job you are applying for, you can also make special sections within your own resume to highlight the uniqueness that you bring to the position.

• Self-education.
• Artistic experience.
• International and non-profit work.

Focus on your achievements rather than just your responsibilities. What employers want to know is how you stand out from the rest of the candidates. Some positions don’t have achievements as such, so it is alright to go for responsibilities.

And so on, but always remember that while one resume can be quite good for multiple job applications, specialization is what always catches the eye of the employer and what makes you seem most fit for the job, though other skills that compliment your specialization don’t exactly hurt your chances either.

What should you avoid in your resume?

Too much information is of course a given, as we do not want to overwhelm the people reading the resume. And if you believe this information to be crucial but not enough to be in the resume you are currently writing, you can always use it for the cover letter. You also need to watch out for any inaccuracies in your experiences, because it could give off the wrong idea about you.

Unnecessary personal information can really hamper all other parts of your resume if you are not careful enough. Passive language is also a really easy pitfall to fall into, be sure to use active verbs that are descriptive enough on their own to show off your responsibilities, achievements and expertise. There are plenty of resources online that can help you decide which language to use in your resume, including a recent study by MIT. Here is a link (https://capd.mit.edu/resources/resume-action-verbs/) for your personal use.

Listing your current salary is a death sentence, do not compare previous places of employment. Solid walls of text are also a no-go, they will be tedious to read, and so, you will be seen as tedious without being given proper recognition for your achievements.

Photographs? No. If the job requires them, it will be asked of you but if they don’t then it is best if you err on the side of caution.

Tests & Resource Skills

We all want to make sure that we did a good job. Sometimes a more critical eye is necessary, especially when it's something we have worked on for quite a while. But for starters, when you have finished composing and rewriting your resume, you should ask yourself, “how emotionally energized does this resume make me feel?” Consider asking yourself questions like that, not just about how satisfied you are with your work but what feelings does your work evoke.

• Does your resume feel genuine?
• Does it reflect your strengths?
• Is what you are saying aligned with what you are feeling?
• Are you proud of the results?
• Are you proud of yourself?

This is not meant to put you down, rather, it is meant to help you realize how far you have come and if you’re satisfied with what you are sending your future employer. Aside from this, to further ensure the quality of your resume, you can compare it to other resume examples used in the industry that you want to work in.

If it does not bother you then you can also send your resume to a professional willing to review it and lend you a hand. They might charge you, but if one can afford it, then it is a very worthwhile choice to make.

Ask the reviewers to give you two types of notes: technical revisions and feedback regarding the writing, organization, and overall effectiveness of the resume.

QUICK TIPS

• Do not share your previous salary unless explicitly asked.
• Be consistent in your format.
• Make it easy to read and follow.
• Revise carefully!
• Balance the use of white space in your resume.
• Some employers may use keyword scanning on resumes, so remember what words are relevant to the position/ industry you are applying in to put them in your resume.
• Describe your experiences with specificity and strong action verbs.
• Save a resume outline and a back-up of all your jobs and achievements for customization purposes.
• Keep accomplishments and contributions in mind, not just responsibilities.
• Use the position description to decide what to include.

I believe in you! Good luck everyone!