Get your Resume Noticed with Paul’s Top 8 Resume Tips

By: Paul Cannon

Resumes are often the first time a prospective employer will “meet” you. Put forth your best effort by ensuring your resume has everything they’re looking for.

Today, I’m sharing my top tips for helping your resume get noticed:

Tip #1: Accuracy

Your resume should be 100% error-free. Run it through a spell checker and have a friend or colleague read it to catch anything you may have missed. When there is tough competition for a position, many employers will screen out candidates with spelling errors (even if you’re fully qualified).

Tip #2: Your resume should match LinkedIn

Many employers will refer to your LinkedIn Profile to learn more about you. Make sure that your job history on your resume matches your history on LinkedIn. Be sure the dates and titles are correct.

Tip #3: Link your skills to the job

Like many of my colleagues at MSG, I like to get to know candidates before referring them to a client. Sometimes in conversation, a client will mention that they won a big sports championship at university. While this may not directly relate to the job you’re applying for, it’s an accomplishment worth sharing. You can link it to the position by saying that it helped you hone your teamwork skills or competitiveness. Look for what transferable skills and experiences you can include to help you stand out.

Tip #4: Reduce any red flags

Look for some of these common red flags and fix them in your resume:

• Employment Gaps: It’s ok to have gaps in your employment but be honest about them. If you had a gap, explain why and what you did during that time.
• Vagueness: If you are vague in your resume, people may wonder if you are trying to hide something. Be specific and provide details.
• Too personal: Employers don’t want your life story, political affiliations, or religious beliefs in your resume.

Tip #5: Don’t distract with too many visuals

Unless you’re applying for a graphic design or highly creative position, don’t focus too much on creating a fully designed resume with graphics. Keep the formatting clean and tidy with readable heading styles and clean formatting as much as possible.

Tip #6: Don’t include your picture

As much as we try to avoid it, the second someone sees your picture, they will create an instant opinion of you, which may not be accurate. I highly suggest not including your photo on any of your job applications to avoid bias from the hiring manager.

Tip #7: Customize your resume for the job

Whenever possible, adjust your resume to cater to the job you are applying for. Try to provide details from your past experiences that match the job description requirements. Consider having a short and a long version so you can offer as much detail as needed. I find that one to three pages is usually a good length.

Tip #8: Keep it up to date

Finally, ensure it’s always up to date so you can send it to a prospective employer right away when asked.

Resumes tell people what you’ve done, not who you are. Make sure it’s designed and written professionally to show your prospective employer your attention to detail and that you are taking the process seriously.

And lastly, don’t be afraid to talk to your recruiter to get more insights about what the hiring manager may be looking for in your resume, so you can always put your best foot forward to get your dream job.