Having a really good resume hasn’t ever been as important as it is now. Your resume is the first introduction your potential future employer gets to you, and since they probably get hundreds of applications every day, you need to make sure that yours stands out to them.
However, there are also some key pieces of information that interviewers look for when reviewing a resume. These can often be left out due to a hurry or simply not thinking it’s important, but this guarantees that yours will be dumped into the reject pile. While you fit your resume with all the bells and whistles, don’t forget to add in the meat and potatoes!
1. Contact Information
This one might seem obvious to you but believe it or not, this one of the things that a lot of people fail or forget to add to their resumes. The first thing you should type on your resume is your name, and beneath it, your mailing address, phone number, and email address.
It’s all well and good if you’re still using the email address you created in middle school with the cutesy name like princessgirlrocks@email or whatever, but please create a more professional-sounding one to add in your resume! As for the phone number, make sure it’s your primary phone number and not the number to your parents’ landline. Also, get rid of the whimsical voice mail message and record something, simple, clear, and short.
2. Incorporate Keywords
If you’ve ever written something for a website, you will know that keywords are very important. You will also know that writing what you were intending to write, but with the right keywords or phrases isn’t all that difficult if you know what they are. Having the right keywords is very important especially when it comes to online applications which are often screened by computer programs that look for just that.
As a general rule, you shouldn’t use the exact same resume for every job out there. You should research the potential employer’s mission statement, the job description, and even other potential jobs that may be available but unlisted in the firm and use keywords that would make you seem like the best fit for the company.
3. Career Summary
We are all defined by our life experiences, and that includes our careers, which is why many job listings ask for past experience. Other than the number of years that you’ve worked in the industry, this also means they’re looking to find out a bit more about how you’ve performed over the years.
As a prospective future employer, they will be looking at your past to determine how you may benefit their company in the future. You should construct a brief description of your past accomplishments that emphasizes your value to the company you’re applying to, so make sure to cater to your skills and experience specific to the job/company.
4. Job Objective
The Job Objective section of your resume should follow the guideline we’ve been emphasizing throughout this article – personalization. Don’t list generic objectives. Instead, you should cater these to fit into the job description – in simpler terms, make it seem like the job you’re applying for has been your lifelong ambition. The more of their criteria you seem to fit into, the more the chances are that you’ll land that interview!
5. Awards, Recognitions, And Industry Training
This is one of the most important things that you should list in your resume – one that a lot of people neglect to add in. This section can be proof for everything you’ve described about yourself in the career summary section. List every award or accomplishment that hasn’t been listed elsewhere, especially the ones that will make you a more suitable candidate for the job you’re applying for.
