We hear it all the time, “Help! Fix my resume. I’m not getting any interviews.” Hiring managers are busy people and they tend to spend less than one minute reading each resume they receive. Whether you’ve written a resume and seen few results or you aren’t sure how to create an attention-grabbing resume, we can help.
1. Fix Those Careless Errors
If you google “fix my resume” or “pimp my resume,” you’ll see plenty of helpful tips and tricks, but the number one mistake people consistently make on resumes are simple careless errors. People provide us with resumes to review all of the time, and more than half contain at least one spelling or grammar error.
While the basic spellcheck program on Microsoft Word or Google Docs will catch some glaring spelling errors, it’s not foolproof and certainly shouldn’t be your last line of defense. Not only do you need to use spellcheck, it’s wise to consider using an add-on program such as Grammarly for a more thorough look.
Then, you need to read it over yourself and ask at least one other person to read the resume and check for errors. Spelling errors might pop out easily enough, but what about word use. Did you mix up your and you’re; too, to and two; or their, they’re and there?
We see those mistakes all the time, and the majority of hiring managers will throw away a resume if it has just one careless error. So, edit, edit and re-edit your resume. At Resume Writing Group, we’ll fix your resume and your professional writer will edit it thoroughly before sending it back to you. Additionally, your resume also will be edited by another professional resume writer. It’s always best to have a second set of eyes look over this all-important document.
2. Pimp Your Resume, But Not Too Much
People love to showcase their personality, but a resume really isn’t an appropriate venue. Using an abundance of quirky fonts and several colors is distracting, and hiring managers don’t have to time to sit wistfully appreciating your hipster resume design.
That said, design strategies are important . . .
While you don’t want to spend all of your time thinking about design, a well-planned resume does attract attention. Of course, most of us aren’t professional graphic designers, so unless you are opting for a job in an art-related field, it’s usually best to stick with a formal presentation.
You might use a cool font for your name, but beyond that stick with the classics – Calibri, Cambria, Georgia, Times New Roman, Garamond, etc. Rather than use three or four fonts, it’s better to utilize other design strategies, such using boldface for headers and employing bullets or dashes.
Here’s a quick example:
Ok, maybe this isn’t the world’s most creative format, but it’s crisp and clean and easy-to-read, which is really what hiring managers want to see. Furthermore, we only used one typeface – Calibri and implemented the bold and italic options.
3. Customize The Content
Perhaps you’ve created an amazing design and made no careless errors, but still aren’t seeing any results. It could be that the information in your resume isn’t really what the hiring managers want to see.
Every resume you send out should be customized to a job posting. Read job descriptions carefully and include the keywords listed in the job description.
For instance, if you are seeking a position as a paralegal and job requires a minimum of three-year’s experience, an associate degree or higher as well as an ABA-approved paralegal certificate, make sure your resume reflects your years of experience and that you do, in fact, possess this certification and educational training.
Here’s another example. Perhaps you are looking for a job as nurse, and the job description requires an active RN license, computer literacy and typing skills, current CPR certification and phlebotomy experience. Make sure your resume lists these skills, assuming you do, in fact, possess said skills.
Of course, hiring managers also are looking for soft skills such as your leadership abilities, your creativity and your problem-solving skills. While you cannot simply state that you are a creative problem solver, you can showcase these skills with an example.
For instance, in little resume snippet above, we stated that the person “revised inventory management system, reduced supply costs by 30%” This shows that you are a problem solver that yields results. Quantifying your skills is one of best ways to fix your resume if it’s not getting the desired results.
4. Omit The Unnecessary
Resumes rarely should run longer than a single page, and we find that many people include an excess of unimportant information that takes up crucial space. For instance, many people add a photograph, and while in some countries, this is common, it is definitely not something you want to add on an American resume.
Don’t include information about your marital status, religion, your birthdate or number of children either. Employers in the United States cannot even ask about these factors, so don’t put the information out there.
Additionally, omit that old line about “references available upon request,” and either streamline or eliminate the career objective section of the resume. Too often, people write a full paragraph detailing their hopes and dreams. To be frank, hiring managers don’t really care about your hopes and dreams; they care about finding great employees.
If you do include an objective, make sure that it is more about what you bring to the table than what you hope to get out of the job. Rather than stating you want a challenging career with a competitive salary and room for advancement, it’s best to state how your skills will benefit an employer.
Also, unless you are just graduating from college, your high school career is irrelevant as are your early part-time work experiences. Once you have real professional experience, it’s best to leave off your stint working at the fast food chain or movie theater, unless you held a managerial post, then it might still be relevant during the early years of your professional career.
5. But, You Can Add A Splash Of Personality
These days, more and more people are adding a Hobbies & Interests section to their resume. In the past, this was rare, but today’s employers are looking for people who enhance the company culture, so showing a bit of personality can be smart.
Not only can this section show off your personality, it also can show off some of your skills. For instance, if you run marathons or climb mountains, it shows that you can work toward a huge goal and achieve success. If you enjoy blogging, and your blog is something you’d be proud to show off to an employer, this can showcase your writing and communication skills.
Of course, if you’ve been searching for someone to “fix my resume” or “pimp my resume,” we can help. At Resume Writing Group, our team of experienced resume writers can review and revise your resume and transform it into a job-winning resume that attracts the attention of hiring managers.
To get started, just head to our homepage and either click the Get Started button or take a look at offerings under the Prices & Services tab. In addition to resumes, we can provide you with top-quality cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, career coaching and more.
