Crafting a Winning Resume: Timeless Tips for Success
While the job market may evolve over time, there are certain principles of resume writing that remain the same. For example, a well-written resume that is timeless provides the opportunity to showcase your skills, strengths, experiences, and accomplishments to potential employers. It invites the Hiring Manager to want to learn more about you.
In this blog we will explore how to create a resume that will catch the attention of employers. You will learn how to write an accomplishment statement, align your resume content to meet the employer’s needs, highlight relevant skills, avoid fads when formatting, and leverage AI.
1. Creating an Accomplishment Statement: Accomplishment statements go beyond listing job responsibilities. An accomplishment statement reveals to the reader the impact of your work and demonstrates your value to an organization.
The way to ensure you have written an accomplishment statement is to apply these three steps: First, think about a specific situation you faced at work. Second, write a phrase that states the action you took to address the situation. Third, write a phrase that states the result of your action. Now take the phrase referencing your action and result, and create a sentence. Place this sentence on your resume alongside a bullet, and you have now created an accomplishment statement!
Here is an example of an accomplishment statement. Streamlined the call center intake process (this is the ACTION) which resulted in a 10% increase in productivity (this is the RESULT). The SITUATION was that productivity was low in the third quarter due to many cumbersome procedures; however, this is not listed on the resume. This information can be shared during an interview.
Remember: Whenever you can quantify an achievement, you can create an accomplishment statement.
2. Connecting to the employer’s needs: The sole purpose of the resume is to land an interview; therefore, your resume should present a concise and compelling snapshot of your work experiences, accomplishments, and skills suitable to the employer’s needs.
When applying to a job posting, carefully study the job description to identify the skills, qualifications and experiences the employer is looking for in a candidate. Evaluate your resume. Does it align with what the employer is looking for? If not, adjust content and/or add content to your existing resume that is relevant to the job posting. Taking these extra steps helps the Hiring Manager see your potential for hire.
3. Highlighting Skills: Tailoring your resume to highlight the skills most relevant to the job you are applying for can only enhance your chances for your resume to be seen. Showcase these skills on the top half of your resume, ideally under the category of Summary and/or Selected Accomplishments or within a column to the left of the resume.
When your skills match the job posting, you are indicating that you are a match to the job, and that invites the employer to explore your resume further. When you are matching your skills to the employers needs, it also means removing skills that may appear dated. For example, technology that is no longer in use.
4. Substance over fads when formatting: While resume trends come and go, elements of traditional formatting will always prevail. For example: avoid gimmicky designs or excessive use of graphics and colors that distract from your qualifications. Instead, focus on clear and concise content, and choose a professional and easy-to-read format. Use bullet points, appropriate headings, and allow for white-space to make your resume visually appealing. No more than two pages is still the standard for the length of a resume. Font size can be anywhere from 10pt - 12pt.
5. Leveraging Influence: Organizations have incorporated the use of AI to screen applicants in a more efficient and timely manner. Therefore, many organizations use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to filter resumes based on keywords and specific criteria. To ensure your resume passes this initial screening, include relevant keywords from the job posting, as mentioned earlier in this post. However, remember to maintain a balance between optimization and readability.
By incorporating these timeless tips, you will increase your chances of capturing the attention of the Hiring Manager, and land that interview!