When it comes to creating a resume, sometimes “good” isn’t good enough. Whether you’re looking for a new career, or just a change of scenery, a great resume can open doors you’ve never dreamed of, and provide you and your family the stability it needs to create and enjoy a great quality of life. With that being said, here at ResumesReview, we have put together this short list of really actionable advice and tips to help you build a GREAT resume, not just a good one.
Cover Letters Are Essential
The first piece of information an employer has on you will probably be your cover letter. This means your cover letter is just as important as your actual resume, and you need to treat it as such. With a cover letter, you need to provide a few items, but they need to be concise, and definitely need to be there. Here are the minimum items we recommend here at ResumesReview on a cover letter.
- Your Full Name, Address, ZIP & Phone
- Brief description of you and your skillset
- 1 or 2 brief references or testimonials
Anything else can be misinterpreted, and may not be essential to the first glance of the employer.
Have Correct & Recently Validated Job References
All too often we see folks with job references from decades ago that have no relevance to the position they are applying for now. It’s absolutely crucial that you not only verify your job references, but only list ones that are relative to your skillset and the position you’re applying for. Otherwise it may hurt your chances of obtaining the job simply because it was too much to read for the employer and they passed on it because they have 1000’s of other resumes to look through.
Use Correct Font and Grammar
It’s also very important to ensure that the resume can be easily read, scanned, and key points identified. You also want to be sure that it’s proof-read, and that there aren’t any grammatical errors in the resume, as that can easily be a red flag for employers. Also try to use a standard 14 or 15 px font when writing your resume, and bolding headlines and key areas to draw attention and focus to places the employer needs to review.
Be Ready to Apply
Sometimes employers will not only require a physical copy of your resume, but also a digital version as well. It’s important to have multiple formats available of your resume or CV, so that you can provide it to a potential employer or recruiter at a moments notice, giving you a better chance of landing that next dream job. Also make sure to have a professional email address with a signature containing your contact information, making it easier for correspondents to find and contact you when they have something available for you, whether it be now, or in the future.
Make it the Best it Can Be
Finally, you need to make sure your resume is the best it can be. The current job market is competitive and saturated with plenty of qualified people. It’s your job to make sure you take your resume to the next level so it can stand out among the competition, and provide you the edge you need to succeed in this competitive marketplace.
We hope these tips on how to build a GREAT resume will help you do just that, build a GREAT resume, not a good one. Thanks for visiting our website, and be sure to leave a comment below if our advice helped you!
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