about a year ago i wrote a piece on interviewing, now it's time to focus on the resume; because without a good resume there is no interview. over the past few months i have seen more resumes than i would like to admit and yet interviewed maybe a handful of people…that's a pretty shitty ratio. for the record i am like the fairy godmother of good deeds, i want to see everyone make it so i have actually gone back and told folks where their resumes need work. i am also infamous for having resume dates and cleaned up resumes to ensure they get noticed, so it's only fair i share some knowledge. side note i am really annoyed with some of these colleges charging all this damn tuition and not ensuring their students and grads have a killer resume.

"don't judge a book by its cover" a motto that is very true when it comes to a books and people, not resumes. make sure your resume is not an eye sore, take pride in what goes on that piece of paper because that paper is representing you! make it clean, bold, and uniform. ensure that the colors, font, and spacing is consistent throughout the resume. i have come across resumes where someone probably copied and pasted a bit and some words were one font (times new roman, green, bold, size 11) and two lines later it is completely different (arial, blue, italic, size 8)…that's sloppy and is a reflection of your work. guess what happens after that…nothing, you will not get a call back! make sure to proof read, i get it, resume writing feels like torture and once you get the last word on the page you don't want to see it again. however, if you don't go back and proof read you'll never get past the resume step! here are the most common mistakes:
1. typos! spell check people, that red squiggly line is there for a reason. you don't even have to look it up your computer/phone does the work for you…fix it!
2. contact information. imagine you had a killer resume and the employer goes to the header (which should be your name and contact information) and dials your number only to find out it's the wrong number or they send you an email to schedule and interview and get a bounce back. proof read!
3. grammar. know the difference between "to/too", "than/then", "we're/were" (ps the blue squiggly line under your words is grammar check, use it)! also, make sure you're using the correct tense when speaking about your experience - example: if it was a job you had write in past tense "-ed" and keep it consistent throughout the resume. be sure to remember those pronouns, capitalize "street, avenue, high school, university, etc".
"short and sweet" first and foremost a one page resume is common knowledge and a rule when submitting a resume, so show that you following directions and keep it on one page! remember you are one of many applicants so the person reviewing your applications just wants to get the point not read your life story (save that for the interview). like most things in life it's quality over quantity so make sure that what you have on that page really showcases your skills and experience. use keywords from the job description listed because; when looking at resumes some employers are literally just scanning to find those key words then they get passed up the ladder for further review. if you don't abide by the rules (one page) when submitting a resume nobody is going to think you'll do so on the job (maybe i'm being a bit dramatic but you get my point!).
"mix it up" chances are your job history is pretty consistent and you're "excellent" at all of your listed skills; so it can tricky to not sound like a broken record when listing your experience but try not to. a thesaurus will be your best friend here so you can remove the 10 "excellent" and replace with "highly seasoned" and "extensive knowledge"…see what i did there? however while you're mixing it up with your words, make sure to...
"keep it relevant" while it's absolutely amazing that you know cpr and can lift heavy equipment it has absolutely nothing do with that behind the desk sales job you're applying for! like i mentioned in point 2 a resume needs to be one page so make the most of the space. if you've had 10 jobs before the one your applying for only include those that are most relevant. or if you did absolutely everything at any given job (i've been there) don't have 15 bullet points figure out how to sum it up (challenging, annoying, but worth it). also, make sure your objective is relevant to the position you are applying for (the objective should be altered for every job you apply for). do not have an objective that reads you are eager to learn about the medical field and saving lives if you are applying for a position in hospitality!
"sell yourself" this is your first and maybe only opportunity to get noticed. it's not necessarily fair but it's a fact so deal with it and make it work! your resume should tell a story about you, your experience, and what you have accomplished. don't just bullet point "i did this, i did that" explain what you did and how it impacted the company. for example "created a weekly sales report that was distributed company wide and increased sales by 25% within the first quarter". bam!

again i know resume writing is comparable to getting a paper cut, it freaking sucks but there is no way around it. even if you know someone who can land you an interview they'll still ask you to bring in your resume...you cannot escape it! your resume is your first step at your dream job, it is the first encounter your future employer has with you...make it count! feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions or need guidance. now work it!