A résumé is a potential employer’s first impression of you. Therefore, presenting an inefficient résumé can ruin the chances of being hired, even for the most qualified candidate. Luckily, there are several things you can do to make sure you present your best self through yours.
Proofread
According to both a recent Entrepreneur article and a recent Business Insider article, incorrect grammar and spelling make a bad impression on hiring managers. They convey laziness, carelessness, and a lack of attention to detail. Proofreading should be a three-step process. First, run your resume through a spelling and grammar program. Second, read your résumé aloud. Reading it out loud will allow you to catch mistakes more easily than just scanning with your eyes. Third, have at least one friend or mentor (with good grammar and spelling skills) read through your résumé.
Tailor it to the Job
Your résumé should fit the job requirements for each job you apply for. To do this, read over the job description. Look for skills, accomplishments, and other qualities the company is looking for in a candidate, and then adjust your résumé accordingly. This may mean highlighting a specific job or focusing on certain responsibilities and accomplishments more than others. This will mean you should have several versions of your resume as you’ll need to do the same for each job you apply for.
Focus on Specific Accomplishments
Potential employers want more than a list of generic qualifications and accomplishments. More often than not, they are looking for specifics that will impress them or heighten their interest. For example, saying you saved the company money on advertising while increasing sales sounds nice, but it would be more impressive with the actual numbers to back it up. Instead, you might want to say that you decreased advertising spending by 25 percent while increasing customer sales by 80 percent. On the other hand, it is important that you are honest about your accomplishments. Do not guess on numbers or exaggerate your accomplishments to make yourself sound better as this will ultimately hurt you in the long run.
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