In an earlier post, I mentioned the importance of a high impact resume on the interview process. A well written resume gets you in the door obviously, but it also stacks you against your competition in terms of how you rank in the employer’s eyes even before you get in the door.
If you’re in the top three out of ten great – you can work with that. However, if you place number ten out of ten, you’ve really got a lot of work to do in the interview.
Here is a resume writing checklist that might be of use to you if you decide to write your resume on your own.
Over the course of my coaching and recruiting career, I have seen all kinds of resumes. The ones that stand out are either the really well put together documents or the ones that are terrible.Yours should stand out because it represents you well and looks professional.
So, be sure that your contact info is current. If you prefer for the employer to only call you on your cell, don’t list a home phone. If you’re going to add your e-mail address, be sure it’s nothing personal, political or religious. Stick to a professional e-mail address. If I am your employer, I do not want to see any of these:
- Susan@riflesrock.com
- Bill@abortionrules.com
- Carolyn@Godisoursavior.com
- Stan@leftwingconspiracy.com
Is Your Summary Compelling?
Your summary should be articulate and compel employers to read on. It should be about your level of expertise and prove that you are a match for the job for which you’re applying. When I mention tailoring the resume to the job for which you are applying – the summary is the perfect place to start. If appropriate, your summary can actually include relevant keywords.
Document Length
Document length is generally one or two pages (two tops). If you have 20 years of experience, don’t feel you have to limit your resume to one page – unless the employer requests one page. If you have two years of experience, one page is fine.
Appearance
In terms of appearance, a resume with errors can be enough to get you thrown out of the applicant pool so be sure to proofread several times. Use quality paper if you print the document out and make sure it’s a white or off white.
Is your resume easy to read? You don’t want to intimidate the reader with tiny fonts, too much information packed on a page or endless bullets. All of the above are enough to get your resume tossed to the side.
Writing a quality resume can mean the difference of thousands in salary and how you are positioned as an applicant. Be sure your resume puts you above your competition.