Sending out great resumes is what makes a recent grad an employee and not a financially troubled one. In order to get a job, you will really have to stand out amongst your peers. Here are some tips to make yours one of the great resumes that gets people hired.
Skip the Objective – Many employers actually will roll their eyes and sigh when they see an objective at the top of the resume. Your objective is to have a good career, not to do whatever hokey stuff you are going to put on your resume. More often than not, a poorly written objective will give your entire resume a tone of insincerity.
Play Parrot! – A lot of the major employers have software that searches for the things that they describe in the job description. Sometimes, what is keeping you from an interview is just the way you phrase things. Try to make it sound like you were made for the job.
Spellcheck – One of the most embarrassing things that can happen to candidates who send otherwise great resumes is to find out that they have a terrible spelling or grammatical error. If you don’t have enough time to be detail-oriented on your resume, you won’t have enough time to be detail-oriented when you are under pressure.
Don’t Lie – If an employer finds out that you have lied on your resume, they will fire you. Even if you aced the interview, even if you do everything perfectly according to their instructions, they will fire you. Don’t say that you went to Princeton if you went to a community college, don’t say that you were a CEO if you weren’t one.
Do Spin It Positively – Were you a “janitor” or a “custodian?” Using the right words to help you get the interview that will seal the deal. Instead of “telemarketer,” try “customer service representative and sales expert.” If you are using words that simply sound like crap, you will look like crap.
Focus on Skills – Skills are what employers are looking for. They are looking for a person who has a lot of experience in certain skill sets. Are you fluent in another language? Make note of it on your resume. Have you gotten through a bunch of programming classes successfully? Add that too. The more skills you have, the better.
Certificates Matter – Graduating from a good college means that you might have gotten one or two certificates. If you recently attained a licensing, a certificate, or even a random award, make sure to make note of it. The proper certification can make or break your chances at a job, and there are some people who do submit resumes that don’t mention the certificates that they have already earned. Doing that is the equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot.
Volunteering Helps – Believe it or not, many employers will hire a person who does volunteer work along with regular work because of the message that it sends to people. Volunteering also provides precious experience, and also gives an employer insight into an applicant’s personality. If you are trying to break into a new career, volunteering is a good way to get your first experience. After all, great resumes will always have experience.
Show Enthusiasm – Great resumes stand out because they are always known for being the ones that really show that a person is ready to start working. If you can’t squeeze some excite words about your work experience into your resume, try to show your gusto for your career in your cover letter.
Don’t give up if your first set of resumes don’t come with a call. You will need to work hard in order to get a job these days. If you sharpen your resume writing skills, it will soon be easy to make the top of the resume list. Who knows? People might come to you for advice when it comes to writing great resumes if you get hired quickly enough.