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 not enough understanding in how to write a resume correctly; or rather is there a lack of education out there? Read on to find the does and don’ts of resume writing.

“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!