A well written, attention grabbing resume is crucial to getting an interview. It is important to be concise, highlight your qualifications, and present yourself as a proactive employee. Recruiters will only briefly skim your resume to determine if you are worthy of an interview. Therefore, it must be easy for recruiters to find the information that sells them on you.
In order to more effectively showcase your skills and abilities, I will recommend making the improvements that I list below:
Don’t use objective statements:
Objective statements focus on what you want (i.e. to obtain a job in the CPG industry), not what the employer wants. Don’t waste valuable real estate on an objective. Use the top of your resume to emphasize your competitive advantage and most relevant skills. Make sure that your resume sells yourself to the hiring in manager in one glance.
Be concise:
Long paragraphs can be time consuming and cumbersome to read. Since most employers will simply scan your resume, it is important that your best attributes don’t get lost in a sea of words. Be sure not to bury pertinent information in a lengthy paragraph.
Don’t include references:
Employers know that you will provide your references to them at their request. So, don’t waste valuable real estate by stating this fact on your resume. Wait for the appropriate time and place to provide this information and use this space to convince the recruiter that he/she can’t live without you.
Don’t use 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person references:
A resume is a formal document in which convention calls for you to eliminate the use of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person references. A resume that is well put together shows professionalism and an understanding of appropriate word choice.
Use action verbs:
A resume filled with action verbs gives the impression that you are someone with a “can do” attitude. Your resume vocabulary sends a message of its own. Make sure that message isn’t that you are a passive employee, but a proactive one who will drive results.
Don’t date yourself:
You don’t need to include dates older than 10 years in your resume. If you graduated from college over 10 years ago, simply list the degree and leave off the date. The employer only needs to know that you have it – their focus is on what you have been doing for the last 10 years. If you include dates older than 10 years, an employer might make inferences about your age before they even meet you. Protect yourself from age discrimination and just leave those old dates off.
Include a quick synopsis of what you have to offer:
When an employer glances at your resume, what will they see? A brief summary of who you are and what you have to offer? If not, you might get passed over. I recommend that you grab the hiring managers attention with a brief overview of your most impressive and relevant strengths.
After you re-write your resume, don’t forget to check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation before using it to apply for a position. More often than not, people overlook their own spelling and grammatical errors. I recommend having several trusted friends and colleagues review your resume to verify that it is easy to understand and free of inconsistencies and minor mistakes.
Keep in mind that your resume is a marketing tool. You must display only the most pertinent and impressive pieces of your experience.
