10 Resume Tips You Might Not Know
We are in the midst of the job-hunting season and whether you’re looking for a summer internship or a role after graduation, it’s important your resume is updated and ready to go. Resumes are tricky and there is no single way to format. Here’s 10 tips the Cap & Co. team came up with to help you land the perfect opportunity.
Interested in a sample resume to spark some creativity?
Check out Dr. Cap’s on the About Page, designed by Pais & Haze Creative Co.
Top 10 Tips
Highlight Your Most Relevant Experiences
If you’re more than a year out of college, you may reconsider listing your “Education” as the first thing on your resume. Highlight your professional work experience first, especially if you feel like it’s more relevant to the role you’re applying for. You might also find a free template on Canva that allows you to share your educational accomplishments in the left column so they stand out.
Keep a Master Resume
You should have a master resume where you change the bullets under each role to list the most relevant and transferable skills to the position you are applying for. To stay current, your master doc should be updated regularly. It might also be beneficial to have a one-page resume, a two-page resume, etc. This way, you have different lengths prepared for any role that requires a specific format.
Put Your LinkedIn and/or Personal Website at the Top
Anything you can’t fit but you still want potential employers to see about you can be documented on your LinkedIn page and/or a personal website. This way, others have another outlet to get to know you better.
Look at the “Skills and Qualifications” Section on the Job Description
But don’t copy and paste the exact wording! Find a different way to say how you excel at the skill and/or characteristic they are looking for. Example: If they say they are looking for someone who “works efficiently” you could translate this onto your resume by saying you are “an effective employee who project manages tasks and action items with strong attention to detail.”
Be Aware of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
A lot of companies use applicant tracking systems to first review resumes. To get past the ATS, make sure your format is simple, check spelling, and include a few keywords.
Use Numbers!
In any place you can, add an additional data point. Recruiters and hiring managers gravitate towards bullet points with numbers so make sure you put them in whenever you can. Don’t be afraid to also list soft skills on your resume, but pair these with numbers. Example: “Collaborated with campus-wide departments and displayed strong communication to create a mentor program for 55 students, faculty, and staff.”
Be Honest About the Gaps
Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, you don’t need to lie or try and hide employment gaps. Just be honest if it comes up in an interview -- most of the time, your employer will totally understand. Even in that gap period, you probably grew and learned skills that would be relevant to the role you’re applying for. Include what you HAVE been doing. Even if it isn’t a formal position, you can talk about your volunteer work with a local community or other.
Formatting is Important
Don’t use too many fonts. Utilize bolding and italicizing to differentiate text (but don’t go overboard). Your resume should be easy to read quickly and there should be a good amount of white space so that it doesn’t feel too crowded. **We also recommend sending a PDF version of your resume when sharing with others to avoid formatting changes when sending.
Take These Off…
It’s time to take “Microsoft Office” off your skills… unless you have a special certification of some kind! It’s a pretty common assumption to know that people know how to use Microsoft Word. Also, take off your address, unless it benefits you. We recommend only your city and state if posting publicly across social media channels, etc.
Use Powerful Verbs
Make sure every bullet point in your resume starts with a strong verb and try not to repeat if you can. Here’s an awesome resource with a list of 185 powerful action verbs to get your started.