As per research by recruitment platform The Ladders, employers spend 6.25 seconds going over potential employees’ resumé’s on an average.
Keep these 5 tips in mind to ensure you create a resumé that does justice to the hard work you have put in over the years –
Double-check for typographical and grammatical errors:
This is something that most employers wouldn’t want to risk, as sometimes even minor errors can cause great problems.
Personalise the content and ensure it flows well:
People often make the mistake of thinking that tailoring the resumé to suit the role means adding lines from the job description. This is far from correct. No one wants to see a copy-pasted version of the same thing they have put up to search for you. Instead, to personalise your resumé, you should focus on mentioning the value you can add with your skills.
Check that the formatting is consistent:
Unless you’re going into a creative field, you should ensure you maintain the same font throughout – colours and styles too, only keeping headlines and subheads distinct, if at all.
Additionally, if you’re using a coloured background or textbox, make sure that it’s something that doesn’t hide the text or distracts from it.
It’s easy to overlook inaccurate information, but employers still notice:
If you use someone else’s resumé and change up the personal details, it is easy for an employer to detect this. There are multiple plagiarism software that can detect where you have taken the information from. Ensure you provide accurate information pertaining to your qualifications. Additionally, ensure the tenure of your roles don’t overlap, as this inconsistency can raise some red flags.
One page fits all – Keep the resumé crisp and according to your experience:
The average resumé should be limited to a single page unless you have around 10 years of experience, in which case it can be extended to two pages. Employers receive hundreds of applications for the same job and, at best, are likely to skim through your resume for a few minutes. You should be able to summarise each role or project with a couple of key points to highlight your contribution. Add only what is relevant and avoid the rest. White space in a resumé can do more than you think for the aesthetic – clutter is the last thing you want.
It is best for you to communicate the key factors precisely and concisely so that you leave enough for the interviewer to ask you once you land the interview. If you do feel like providing additional roles and information, you can take to professional platforms such as LinkedIn.
