Writing a résumé and laying it out in a professional manner is definitely a skill.
It is not a document to be taken lightly, as this is your introduction to a potential employer. Remember the old saying: You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.
In order to get to the next step – the interview – take a look at these helpful tips.
- Use the same font throughout. You can choose different sizes, bold, and even change colours of subtitles to make certain sections pop (don’t hand in a rainbow – just a hint of colour – unless this job involves the Care Bears). Keeping the font type consistent gives the layout a clean look.
- Tailor your résumé to fit the job you want. Do not fabricate facts from your career, but highlight aspects that are relevant to this position. Don’t forget to emphasise these in your cover letter.
- List your previous job experience in reverse chronological order. You want your most recent accomplishments to be at the top of the list. No slight on your part-time hours working at the university bar, but if you’re going for management, you’ll want your latest job overseeing a staff of 10 to be what stands out first.
- Bullet points are key. Keeping the facts succinct and in a bullet-point list will keep the reader engaged. Waffling long paragraphs can test an employer’s attention span. Include dates, company names, job titles, and your duties in those positions.
- Be direct in your cover letter about your interest in the company, and feel free to include your hobbies if they are directly related to the job for which you are applying. For example, if you’re looking to work at a gym, include your love of fitness activities.
- If writing isn’t your strong suit, or you aren’t completely confident about your spelling, grammar and punctuation, have someone with these skills look over your résumé and correct mistakes before you send it in. It also helps for a friend to read it out loud so you can hear how it sounds.
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