The Power of a Well-Written Resume

“Quality rather than quantity is the rule”, writes Tara West, of aussieresumes.com, in regards to the numerous resumes she reviews daily.  Many people at some stage will wonder why they were unsuccessful in their job search, or didn’t hear back from a prospective employer. Could it be that their resume was just too hard to read? Is there just not enough understanding in how to write a resume correctly; or rather is there a lack of education out there?

Either way as a recruitment specialist, and having been in the industry for fifteen years, it always surprises me at the amount of resumes that come across my desk and end up in the unsuccessful pile, simply because they are too lengthy, too confusing, or are written back to front. This piece of paper is GOLD; it’s your secret to gaining that illusive interview, better still the job of your dreams. Spelling errors, résumés longer than 4 pages, employment dates not in reverse chronological order, no dates or job titles, and irrelevant information, are just some of the obvious ways not to get the job. 

Prospective employers around the world, large or small, receive hundreds of resumes daily most of which end up in the bin, or should I say the unsuccessful pile! It is a huge job screening and individually acknowledging applicants, and these organisations or the manager with the vacancy simply cannot manually read or acknowledge each and every resume, therefore there is usually a gatekeeper of some sort. Either someone within the Human Resources department who has no experience in the field that requires the new person, or there is some sort of applicant-tracking software in place. “These days there is a plethora of applicant tracking systems available” says Caitrin O’Sullivan, public relations coordinator at iCIMS, a leading organization in providing software as a service. So, how do job seekers ensure their resume makes it through these gatekeepers and into the hands of the right person and in the yes pile? “Lay out really is open to debate but the best advice I’ve heard is Keep it simple”, writes Kate Southam, Editor of careerone.com.au. Make it easy for the employer to read, preferably 11 point Times New Roman or Arial, and remember quality not quantity is always far more attractive!

Here are a few tips on layout. The first page of your resume usually is your employment summary, a snapshot of who you are and what you have been doing for the past ten years. Realistically ten years is far enough for you to go back, unless it is truly relevant to the position vacant.  Name, address, phone number, mobile, email (make sure it’s professional, not sexysally@), DOB (up to the person), education, and qualifications. Towards the bottom of the first page you can include a brief career summary, if you’re not fresh out of school, job title, employer name and dates is all that is needed. If you are a school leaver it might be good to include a career objective instead.

The next three to four pages, four maximum, is an expansion of your employment summary using bullet points and key words relevant to the position.  This is another important point, customize your resume, make sure you have read the job description and you have put the skills that are most pertinent at the top. Dates from start to end, company name and your position title, followed by bullet points of your key reasonability’s. Unless the job specifies “no experience necessary” then try only to apply for jobs that you are qualified for, or have relevant experience in. Having proven ability within the position advertised immensely increases your chances of making it into the yes pile, maybe even accepted for an interview. Keep this section clear and concise try to fill or explain certain gaps, “Employers and recruiters don’t like mysteries so if you have been out of the workforce it is better to try and explain the gap in your resume.” Says Kate Southam, Editor of careerone.com.au.

Finally the last page is for referees and their work phone numbers, preferably not a mobile, as it’ll only annoy them if you catch them in the middle of something un-work related. And if necessary, or relevant to the job, your hobbies and interests, sometimes this can go against you though so be careful. Make sure your referee is someone you have worked directly for, i.e. a manager or supervisor; they need to match with your employment history, where you have worked. And be sure the referee is aware they are down as a referee; they don’t want any surprises either.  

You can do this! It is worth the time invested initially, once you have written your resume in the correct format the rest is reasonably easy. Now, all that is required is to customize your resume according to each position you apply for, this won’t take nearly as much time as it did to put your whole resume together. Just a few, nips, and tucks here and there. You will be amazed at how powerful your well-written resume is, and how it really can assist in your job search. Good Luck!!