We would like to share some great resume tips that we think Marie Kondo would be proud of!
- Evaluate what to Keep or Toss | Unless there is specific, relevant information to the opportunity you’re applying for today, most managers don’t care about a position held 15 or 20 years ago. You have grown and changed as a person and a professional since then. Additionally, business was also conducted much differently back then (email has replaced paper memos and fax machines)! Clearing old jobs from your resume can help reduce the length, streamline the recruiter or hiring manager’s attention, and prevent the potential for subconscious age discrimination. Also, if you have several past positions where your duties were similar, try condensing the responsibilities to avoid repetitious information.
- Ensure Everything has a Place | Look at your resume and see if rearranging the content could help the information flow more easily or read more thoughtfully. Highlight the most relevant pieces of information first. Education should only be the lead section if you are a recent graduate, you’re just starting your career, or you are attempting a career change to a role that directly aligns back to your degree. If you have five or more years of experience in the workforce, that section should be listed first. If you are applying for a position that requires background or skills you obtained through a role that you worked in few years ago, it’s absolutely acceptable to place that relevant information front and center, moving your most recent work history afterward.
- Declutter, Tidy, Arrange | White space is your friend! Statistically, it’s well known that many resumes only receive approximately six seconds of attention from recruiters or hiring managers. If you meticulously detail your work experience in large paragraphs of full sentences, it will most likely not be read! Focus on bullet points, keywords, spacing, and information flow. Perform a “visual test run” of your resume with a few trusted friends or family members, asking them if the first glance looks overwhelming or eye-pleasing.
- Tiny Boxes Group Like Items | Make it easy for a recruiter or hiring manager to find what they are looking for right away. Separate your resume into sections with clear labels so they can quickly locate essential components that match the position’s requirements, such as Education, Work History, Contact Information, and/or Software Skills.
- Don’t Stack the Same Stuff | If you worked in the same contracted role for a period of time, but performed duties for several different clients, don’t take up precious resume space listing each position and/or project. Instead, condense them into a small, but powerful section explaining the time you acted as a consultant and provide brief, bulleted statements regarding the work you performed over the duration of your contracting period.
- Define its Purpose | Applying for new positions is about quality over quantity. Although it seems time consuming, tailor your resume for each position which you’re applying for. You will have more success sending out a few highly tailored resumes than by mass distributing the same cookie-cutter resume to hundreds of job postings. Immerse yourself into each targeted position’s detailed job description, and then create a plan to rearrange or add keywords into your resume that fit each specific role, and match your skills.
Ready to take your career search to the next level? Dahl Consulting (DAHL) places the right people in the right seats at the right time. We know people are our greatest asset, which is why we truly believe ‘It’s the People’. Here at DAHL, you’ll notice the difference! Our core business is sourcing, qualifying and matching skilled talent for the right roles. We have an excellent team of experienced and friendly recruiters who share the same passion for building long-term, sustainable relationships with our clients, consultants and candidates! Learn more about our company at, www.dahlconsulting.com, or contact our recruiting team at (651) 772-9225.