Resume Summary Or Objective
Its not a secret for anyone that first impressions matter, whether theyre in your personal life, or your career.
If you leave a bad first impression, chances are, its there to stay. After all, its very hard to change someones opinion of you.
The same applies to your job search – the HR manager spends around 6 seconds scanning each resume. Yep, your carefully-worded, hand-crafted resume only gets 6 seconds of attention. Unless, of course, you manage to leave an amazing first impression.
The way you accomplish this is through either a good resume summary or objective. Both are placed at the top of your resume, right around the contact information section:
So, heres what you need to know about the two:
Rule : Exclude Irrelevant Information
Youve probably noticed that theres a lot of debate about which details belong on your resume. After writing thousands of resumes, and speaking with dozens of recruiters, we can confidently recommend the following:
- Your name.
- Your mobile phone number .
- Your email address .
- The URL of your LinkedIn Profile.
Its NOT necessary to include:
- Your gender.
- Your date of birth .
- Your address.
- Your references .
By the way, did you know that a CV and a resume require you to include different details?
Polish Up Your Grammar And Formatting
Resume writing is a unique style. It can be tricky to remember which tense to use or when to omit pronouns. How can you use language to tell a more compelling story? Which fonts and formats are ATS-friendly? Lets take a look.
Resume Fonts
Its important to use a font that is easy to read on screen, ATS-compatible, and commonly available. A few traditional resume fonts to consider include Helvetica, Garamond, or Georgia. Avoid using script fonts or custom fonts unless you are a designer. Dont use a font size below 10.
Tense and Pronouns
Use past tense when talking about jobs in the past, and present tense when describing the work you are currently doing. Traditional resume writing leaves out personal pronouns and gets right to the action. Ex. Spearheaded a new email marketing initiative that increased revenue by 10 percent.
Resume Action Words
Action verbs help liven up your writing, making your resume more readable for recruiters and hiring managers. Consider beginning each bullet point on your resume with an action verb and replacing generic verbs like managed or led with more engaging words like mentored or accelerated.
Read Also: How To Do A Vertical Line In Word For Resume
Why The Design And Layout Of Your Resume Is So Important
A great resume is about substance, so while it might be tempting to dress up your resume with fancy fonts and graphics, its much more compelling to have a clean and fuss-free design and layout. According to Hallam, there are other good reasons to ensure a simple resume design:
- Resumes with graphics and too many columns wont actually get through Applicant Tracking Systems , so a poorly-designed resume may not ever be seen by potential recruiters.
- Fancy or hard-to-read fonts are distractingbusy recruiters and employers wont view them favourably.
- An aesthetically appealing, functional resume is a reflection of who you are as a potential employeeit shows your professionalism.
This doesnt mean youre expected to come up with a knock-out resume design yourself, thoughchoosing a simple resume template and making it your own is the best way to go.
What Does A Good Resume Look Like
Related video: Resume Tips: Avoid These 8 Mistakes
A resume gives you the opportunity to present your background, experience and abilities to an employer before meeting with them. A well-written resume should highlight your qualifications for the position you have applied for. In this article, well review what makes a resume look good and provide some examples.
Read more: Resume Samples and Templates To Inspire Your Next Application
Read Also: How To Show Two Positions At Same Company On Resume
The Remaining Pages Of Your Resume
After your professional experience, you can include two other sections:
- Hobbies and interests: Hallam says its a good idea to include something about your life outside of work. Including your hobbies, passions or interests is a great way to differentiate yourself and make yourself memorable. Its also an opportunity to build rapport with your interviewer, especially if you share common interests, he adds.
- References: you may also wish to include a note at the end of your resume to say that references are available on request.
What Should A Resume Look Like
December 3, 2020 | By Arseny Kaluzhinsky| Reviewed by Howard Davies
If your resume looks good, its more likely to catch the attention of hiring managers and be examined more closely. Use these tried-and-tested tips to create a resume that stands out for all the right reasons.
The example in this infographic shows you what a resume should look like. If youre still unsure how to transform your resume into one that looks like this, heres how to do it:
You May Like: Should I Include Relevant Coursework On Resume
Choose The Right Formatting
There are three major formats to write a resume: chronological, functional and combination. Although most resumes follow a chronological format, the correct format may depend on the industry, your job title and personal preferences.
Restrict the length of your resume to a page or two. Depending on your work history, it may benefit you to focus on the most recent position you held and the most important educational qualifications you hold. Keep the descriptions about older jobs and less relevant qualifications as short as possible.
Related: Resume Format Guide
Why You Should Care About How Your Executive Resume Looks
Before I get into what your resume should look like in 2022, I want to first address a question I often hear from executives I work with. They usually say, I have over 30 years of work experiencewhy does it matter how my resume looks?
And to some degree, theyre right.
What you include in your resumefrom your relevant work experience and education to your expert-level skills and professional qualificationsshould matter more than what it looks like. The good news is that those things are important.
However, with 250-500 resumes coming in per job posting, hiring managers often see the same traditional, bullet-list-only chronological resume. This tired format just regurgitates a candidates employment history.
Because its not visually engaging, hiring managers have a harder time distinguishing one candidate from the next. And that means they could pass by your resume before even reading your sales pitch .
This is why a creative, eye-catching resume makes all the difference.
With one, youll capture the attention of hiring managers and hook them like a fish. Its much easier to reel them in, so to speak, when your work experience and other qualifying attributes leap off the screen or page.
But, keep in mind, theres a fine line here. Going overboard with your visuals wont help you either. So heres how to strike the right balance:
Don’t Miss: Emailing Resume Template
Next Steps After Your Resume
Now that weve covered everything you need to know about how to create a resume, lets talk cover letters & interviews.
After all, your resume is only the first step in your job search. To really land that job you deserve, you also need to craft a killer cover letter, and ace that upcoming interview.
Stick With Two Fonts At Most
What should a resume look like so that you are memorable in a good way and not because you embarrassed yourself? Stick with simplicity. It’s tempting to use all of the typefaces at your disposal, but having more than two fonts in any document only lessens its readability. One font is all you really need. If you use two, make sure they complement each other. For example, use one font for the headings and the second font for the body text.
You May Like: Work Resume In Spanish
Submitting Your Resume Online
When you apply for a job online, youre asked to upload your resume and complete an online application. Every ATS is a little different in how they work but the information you supply determines your success. To learn more about how ATS work, read this How To Get Past The Applicant Tracking System
In order for your resume to get through the ATS, it has to show you have the qualifications, ie. you may need to tweak your resume to align with the role you are applying for.
Tweaking your resume requires reviewing the job description and highlighting the skills, technology and systems requested. Without lying, you want to use those words in your resume. Heres more help dissecting a job posting to uncover keywords Applying for a Job? Invest Time Reviewing the Job Posting.
What Your Resume Should Look Like In 2022
These five essential elements of every updated, modern resume will help you get noticed and land an interview:
#1. Eye-Catching Top Half That Captures Their Interest
Ive talked about how the top half of your resume is prime real estate, and thats still very true.
So I want you to think of this section as an introduction to an exciting book. Within a few seconds, your words should grab readers and compel them to dive deeper into your resume.
Now, that doesnt mean the rest of your resume doesnt matter. Its just that this top half will guide the reader to the rest, which is exactly what an effective resume should do.
Take a look at the top half of these three executive resume samples to see what I mean. Ill be referring to these throughout this guide:
See how these three examples utilize the top part of their resume layout? Theyre visually appealing while also making several striking points in a short time.
Thats how you want your resume to look in 2022its the best way to stand out.
To copy the format of these free resume examples, youll need to write succinct callouts of your accomplishments.
#2. Succinct Callouts That Attract Attention Without Overwhelming
The top halves of those resumes work so well thanks to organized callouts.
This tight copy gives hiring managers your best stats, relevant career skills, and industry experience at a glance.
This format helps readers smoothly jump from one visual point to the next. Again, this is precisely what you want.
You May Like: How To Name Your Resume File
What Your Resume Should Look Like: Template And Example
As you conduct your job search, your resume should include details relevant to the position. The details on your resume should be properly formatted in a simple format for the hiring manager to briefly view and analyze. This helps them gain a better understanding of your skills and qualifications and how they directly relate to their position.
In this article, we discuss what a resume should look like, how to write a resume and we share a template and example as guides to help you build a strong resume.
Related:How to Make a Resume
What Does A Modern Resume Look Like
Writing a modern resume requires you create one that makes it through an applicant tracking system AND catches the attention of different readers .
How well do you understand how applicant tracking systems work and how recruiters review resumes?
This overview of what a modern resume looks like helps you understand the most important aspects of writing a resume today.
Read Also: What Should My Resume File Name Be
Include Link To Online Profile/resume
Time has changed and job hunting process has shifted significantly. Now a days people rely on online profiles like on linkedin.com where they can have access to almost all the information they need. The more employer reads about you, more chances you have to get recruited. It not only make recruiters work less tiring but also better as almost everyone can access these websites from anywhere instead of reviewing your resume on paper alone.
+ Essential Resume Formatting Tips
Read Also: Coursework On Resume
Make A Resume That Shows Impact
To prove youre worth a hiring managers time, highlight recent examples of what you bring to the table. Statistics that build upon your skills section are most impactful bonus points if they show a track record of growth, revenue, and profitability, Leavy-Detrick says.
If youre drawing a blank, she suggests adding resume skills that can help solve a problem area for the company youre applying to.
Impact doesnt always have to be measured by metrics, she says. Cultural improvements, special projects, customer growth anything that showed success can work.
Include Strong Data Numbers And Performance Indicators Where Appropriate
Going off of our last point, its a great idea to keep a list of personal metrics on hand to include within your resume later. Say you grew the revenue your team generated by 20% last year, thats impressive include it! Maybe you created 15 new processes that streamlined business functions add it!
What were saying here is that numbers stand out. They tell future employers exactly what you accomplished in the past and what you can potentially do for them in the future. So, if you can include your own personal metrics on your resume, do it!
Don’t Miss: Typing Skill Resume
Word Bundle Resume Template
The Word Bundle Resume Template is a great example of how resume templates can help you determine what to include in your resume. This set is much more than just a standard resume template! Despite the number of templates included, it is quite easy to use. All you need to do is enter your data instead of fillers in the fields of education, work experience, and recommendations. It is also easy to read, and it will only increase your chances. Paragraph styles make it easy to insert and edit important text.
How To Pick The Right Resume Format
There are three types of resume formats: reverse chronological, functional or skills-based, and a combination of the two. The choice depends on the type of job you are applying for and your level of experience.
The 3 resume formats are:
1) Reverse chronological resume format – This is the most popular resume format and is ideal for people with plenty of work experience that is relevant to the position theyre interested in.
2) Functional/skills-based resume format If you lack relevant work experience because you are a student/recent graduate, or you are looking to make a career change, the skills-based format is a better choice.
3) Combination resume format The combination resume is a great choice for job-seekers with a very diverse skill-set. Its useful if youre applying for a role that requires expertise in 3-4 different fields, and you want to show all that in your resume. Say, for example, youre applying for a senior management role, and the requirements are expertise in Management, Sales, and Software Development.
So, which one do you go for?
In 90%+ cases, youd want to stick to the reverse-chronological resume format. This is the most common one, and most HR managers are used to this. Hence, in this guide, were going to focus on this specific format.
If youre a recent graduate, or possess a diverse set of skills & work experience, you might want to pick one of the other 2 formats. Check out our guide to resume formats to learn how to write either.
Read Also: How To Make A Resume When You Have No Experience
Tailor Your Resume To The Job Description
Most people dont just apply to jobs with a singular job title. Say youre coming from an account management role and would be happy to land a new job in account management, but youd also be open to roles in project management. While your experience hasnt changed, your resume typically should .
The thing is, if someone whos hiring for a project management role reads a resume who seems like theyre actually looking for an account management role, thats an easy way to get filtered out of a resume pile. Instead, do your best to tailor your resume to the job youre applying for. Take a deep look at the job description to see how it would work within your resume.
Also read: How to Edit Your Resume Based on the Job Youre Applying For
How To List Education On Your Resume
The next section were going to cover is your Education. Lets start with the basics – how to format the education section & what to mention there. Then, well move on to tips & tricks thatll help you stand out
- Program Name. E.g.: B.A. in Business Administration
- University Name. E.g.: New York State University
- Years Attended. E.g.: 08/2008 – 06/2012
- GPA. E.g.: 3.9 GPA
- Honors. E.g.: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude.
- Academic achievements. Any interesting papers youve written, courses youve excelled in, etc.
- Minor. Minor in Psychology
Here’s an example:
Tips on perfecting your education section:
- If you dont have any work experience, mention your education section first.
- Mention your latest educational entry on top.
- If you have a university degree, dont mention your high school at all.
- ONLY mention GPA if you had a very impressive academic career .
Also Check: What To Say When Sending A Resume By Email