Résumé Do’s and Don’ts
By Elijah Thomas
Your résumé is your first impression to a potential interviewer. The quality of your résumé can even determine whether you actually receive an interview or not.
That being said, you want to make sure the first impression possible employers get from you is a good one. Here are some résumé do’s and don’ts to know.
Show, Don’t Tell
You would think stating how great, accomplished and how much of a problem-
solver is what interviewers want, but it’s the opposite. You can lose credibility by just stating all those qualities and not showing why you are those qualities. You have to think, anyone can say they are the best but not everyone can show they really are the best.
Demonstrate how you use your skills or how you use your personal qualities to accomplish a goal.
One way is to use the STAR method:
Situation: What was the problem or situation you faced?
Task: What have you been tasked with?
Action: What action did you take?
Result: What was the result of your actions?
Using the STAR method can help you create impactful information on your résumé that will impress interviewers and job recruiters on first glance.
Be Impactful
Using the STAR method too much or with information that can be easily overlooked can discredit you. You want to make sure the information you share is impactful and actually important.
Show recruiters why you’re so great through scenarios and problem solving rather than just stating it on your résumé.
Your résumé should explain how you found your last place of work and how you left it, what you changed and how you impacted the company.
Your résumé should have strong concrete descriptions of your experience and what you accomplished during your time there. You want to make sure it gets to the point quickly while also describing the impact you made in your experience.
Experience is important
Your résumé should include a section designated for credible and relatable experience for the position you are applying for. You want to outline the work that will help you move forward in the job you are searching.
Include information such as the company you worked for, title held at the company and any specific duties you had in your position.
Make sure each experience included is related to the position you are applying for. You don’t want to place bartending or your experience as a waiter on your résumé to apply for an IT position.
All the information you have on your résumé should benefit you in the position you are applying for. It is crucial you do not waste space on your résumé with unrelated content.
KISS – Keep it short and sweet
Recruiters today are moving fast and do not have all the time in the world to sit and read about each job experience you have had in your life. It’s important all the information you place in a résumé pertains to the position you apply for. You must make sure the information is detailed but gets to the point quick. For that reason, the majority of your résumé should fit onto one page.
Employers today may only have a few seconds to look at the hundreds of résumés they get, so you have to make sure yours stands out at first glance. Put descriptive material on your résumé.
