Resume writing tips
Your resume is one of the most important tickets to opening doors in your job search.
Make sure your resume stands out from the crowd, follow our tips and advice for success.
If you're new to the job market or if you haven’t updated your resume in a while, it can be hard to know where to start. What experiences and accomplishments should you include for the roles you’ve got your eye on? What new resume rules and trends should you be following? And, the killer question, one page or two?
We’ve compiled all the resume tips you need into one place, read on for advice and tricks that’ll help you land that dream job.
Already have a winning resume?
Step 1. Get the basics right
Make sure your resume is regularly updated and portrays you in the best light possible. Checking for missing skills, achievements or job roles is crucial as you could potentially miss off that new skill you have developed which would be the deciding factor to whether you get the job.
Some suggested headings for your resume could include:
Personal statement
Contact information
Relevant skills
Work history and/or experience
Education and qualifications
Achievements
Hobbies and interests
References
Step 2. Presentation is key
First impressions count and how you present your resume is just as important as how you present yourself. Badly formatted resumes with lots of borders or boxes can be distracting. Keep it simple, neat and remember to stick to no more than two pages in length.
Step 3. Tailor your resume
Look at your resume, read it thoroughly. What does it say about your relevant experience or skills for this position? It’s important to alter your resume in line with the role that you’re applying for, using the job description and company information as a guide. This enables you to respond directly to the job description and explain exactly why you are the right candidate for the role.
Step 4. Your career and reasons for leaving
To make the best impact you should always start with your most recent role, and then work backwards chronologically. By taking this approach, you ensure that a potential employer does not mistake your level of experience based on your very first role.
It is important to reflect your reasons for leaving your current role in a positive manner. When a potential employee talks negatively about a past employer, regardless of the circumstances, you risk casting yourself in a negative light. If you are a contractor, then this is your opportunity to detail your contract duration.
Step 5. Summarise your skills
Including a ‘key skills’ section to your resume to act as a summary is another great way to show that you’re qualified for the job you are applying for. It’s useful to have it near the top of your resume, to show off your most relevant industry experience immediately.
TOP TIP: Keep to the point and where appropriate make sure you can back up your claims with examples.
Need further advice?
It’s our job to get you to the next step.
We put all our expertise into helping you achieve your goals.