10 Resume Writing Tips To Help You Land a Job!

1. Readability Is Key

When you write your resume, put yourself in the reviewer’s shoes and imagine having to read many resumes that are dense and difficult.?Not a favorite task for most hiring authorities. The first rule is making your resume easy to read.

Because employers have only a short time to review your resume, it should be as clear and as easy to read as possible. You should use a basic, clean font like Arial or Times New Roman. Keep your font size between 10 and 12 points. Selecting a clear, readable font will help make your resume appear more professional.

Some hiring authorities will take no more than six seconds to review your resume before deciding whether to read the rest. I suggest you?bold?important information so it stands out during the six-second scan.

Don’t write large blocks of text. A resume reader’s attention span just isn’t up to more than three consecutive lines of text. Beyond four lines and your block of text gets ignored completely.

Don’t try to squeeze too much onto the page. A densely packed resume carries a 0% motivating factor-nobody wants to read it! Never sacrifice readability in order to keep your resume to a certain page length.

Use lines to separate resume sections. Simple lines work as a visual break between the different types of information within your resume. They help the reader make the transition between sections without taking up too much valuable white space.

You should also make sure that you reduce or eliminate any unnecessary white space. Too much blank space might make your resume seem sparse, distracting the audience and possibly raising a red flag. By reducing extra white space, you make it easier for the resume reader to focus only on the content of your resume instead of the white spaces.

2. Make it short - usually two pages maximum

Don't overdo it. Keep it short and succinct, but with all the important details.?Generally, most CVs are two pages maximum. Why? Because?studies?have found most recruiters will spend anywhere from six seconds to 15 seconds scanning a resume before determining whether it makes the ‘yes’ pile. So don't overdo it. Keep it short but with all the important details.

Including only the most key and relevant information means employers are able to consume more information about you and quickly understand your fitness for the role.

3. Keywords From The Job Description

Incorporate words into your resume that are listed in the job description of the position you're applying for. This will help a hiring manager quickly see that you're a fit for the position.

The best place to start when preparing to write a resume is to carefully read the job description that interest you. As you apply for different jobs, you should study each job description for keywords that show what the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate. Include those keywords in your resume.

4. Use action and power words

Recruiters prefer to review resumes that evoke dynamism and action. By using the right action and?power words,?you can compel the recruiter to read on (and call you for an interview).?The best action and power words are those that are concise, clear, and direct.

Here are a few examples of action words:

Achieved, Improved, Resolved, Managed, Created, Generated, Overhauled, Implemented, Streamlined, Initiated, Organized, Introduced, Identified, Launched, Increased.

5. Brief Explanations For Employment Gaps And Layoffs

If you were let go from several positions due to downsizing, mention this. If you have a large?gap in your employment history, explain what you were doing during that time and what you learned. Keep your explanations short and sweet.

6. Relevant Job/Internship/Volunteer Experience

If you're a veteran in your industry, you don't need to list the very first job you had decades ago. Keep your employment history to the past 10-15 years if you have a substantial amount of industry-related experience. If you're a recent graduate, listing the part-time job you had in college is fine—but you also want to list?any internships, volunteer work, coursework, or projects you had that are relevant to the job. Unpaid experience still counts.

7. Review resume examples for your industry

When creating your resume, you could study examples of resumes from your industry for inspiration and best practices.

8. List your career history in reverse chronological order

That is, starting with your current or most recent job and running all the way through to your first. If it’s an extensive list, prioritise the three or four most recent roles. You can explain or fill in the earlier roles later. This part is important because that temp job from a decade ago is unlikely going to be relevant to the job you are applying for right now.

On the other hand, your current job, or the one you are looking to leave, is likely going to have skills and expertise that you can roll over and contribute to the next role. These are exactly the kind of details recruiters look out for, so it is critical to place your current role up top.?

Work experiences are perhaps more important these days, but educational institutions and qualifications must be included as well. Reviewers will want to see more recent tertiary qualifications before secondary school results. Any training, courses or internships should also be mentioned in the same order.

9. Check for typos

Spellcheck everything at least twice and have someone else proofread your resume before you submit it. Spelling or?grammar mistakes?give hiring managers and recruiters the impression that you don't pay attention to details and don't really care about the job you're applying for. Avoid these mistakes at all costs!

Even if you think your CV is error-free, it’s worth asking a trusted friend to read it through. A good trick that writers use is to read the words out loud to spot mistakes.

10. Be Honest

There is nothing worse than you can do than lie on your resume. Whether it is your skillset or your hobbies, you should never lie. People taking your interview have been in the job market for a long and can tell which part of your resume is a lie and often find ways to test what you write in your resume in the interview room itself. They can pop up a question about football if you wrote football as a hobby, as they try to know how instinctive you are.

There you have it; ten tips you can use to create a great first resume. Remember, writing a resume is a learned skill. With persistence and patience, you will eventually land the job you want.