BRIDGE Resume Tips and Tricks
Are you new to the job market or have you found yourself back in the pool of applicants after X number of years without updating your resume? Regardless of your situation it’s important to keep your resume current and to tailor it to what employers are looking for. There are numerous outlets for marketing yourself, even in a bad market, and with these simple tips and tricks from our own BRIDGE Recruiting Team you can make sure your resume is at the top of the pile.
“It’s best to assume that someone other than the hiring manager is going to be the first person reading your resume (a recruiter, someone in HR, an automated search agent, an assistant, etc.) so a) keep it simple and to the point and b) write your resume with the thought in mind that the first person to see your resume will be scanning it for keywords before reading the details – so be concise and keep both audiences (hiring manager and first viewer) in mind.”
- James Wright, Partner
“Make sure the font is readable and of the same color throughout the resume. Keep personal information off of the resume - such as hobbies, pictures of self, marital status, number of children, etc. Some of the personal information is illegal for an employer to ask and most of the time is irrelevant to the position. Embedded objects such as (java applets, flash, etc) should be left off the resume. Opening the resume with embedded objects can cause problems for the person viewing the resume, especially if their system is not compatible.”
- Kristi Brewster, Sr. Recruiter
“Ensure that you include all applicable key words when describing your work experience and skill set on your resume. This will make it easier for Employers and Recruiters to find your resume on job boards/sites. Essentially, think from the recruiters’ perspective how someone would go about searching for candidates for a position you desire on a job site. The key words should include specific technology that you have worked with and industries that you have worked in. Also, it is important to use key words to describe responsibilities that you had in prior positions that are commonly sought by employers in your line of work. For example, if you are a Business Analyst use key words such as “developing functional specifications.” These, and other specific responsibilities, are often the key words you’ll find on Job Descriptions but are not often found on resumes.”
- Jonathan Samolis, Recruiter
“Keep the format simple and organized. Make a list of your technical knowledge toward the beginning of your resume and organize it by category so the employer can clearly see your skills, such as the databases, applications, platforms, operating systems, appliances, etc that you’ve worked with. Only include something on your resume if you have the skill and would feel confident answering questions about it in an interview. You’d be surprised how many people include skills they have only very limited experience with.”
- Amy McDermott, Jr. Recruiter
“To expand on Amy’s advice; think carefully about your skill set and those skills you most want to use in your next position. Organize your resume so it’s clear which skills you want to use again and which skills you want to leave behind. For instance if you’ve previously worked with various programming platforms but prefer to stick with .Net going forward, make it clear by either separating your skills or including this in your objective. That way you save yourself and recruiters from that PHP or Cold Fusion phone call. (Please hold those emails we love PHP and Cold Fusion – just an example!)”
- Joe Devine, Partner
Contact your favorite BRIDGE Recruiter and set up a time to meet if you have any questions about how to make your resume better!
May 28th, 2010 at 10:08 am
It is up to the you, the future employee to make your resume tasteful and impactful enough with your own experiences so that it will assist to advance your new job status. This post makes helpful points that should assist your resume writing.