Tips for Success: 10 Ways to Get Your Resume Noticed
- Put all of your contact information at the top of your resume, including an active email address, phone number, and a LinkedIn profile URL if you have one.
- Begin your resume with a “Summary” section that gives a brief overview of your experience and top skills. This helps recruiters get a quick snapshot of where you’ve been and what talents you can bring to the job.
- Start the "jobs/experience" section of your resume with a short paragraph of the day-to-day duties of the job, and then follow with bullet points to highlight any specific achievements such as awards or promotions, improving a process, or cutting budget costs. This draws the reader’s eyes to your top accomplishments.
- Use years, not months for each position on your resume. This will minimize the appearance of any gaps in employment and makes the document cleaner.
- Keep your resume length to 1-2 pages. Most recruiters are interested in the past 5 – 10 years or those roles that are most relevant to the job you are applying for.
- Put any higher education or certifications you have at the end of the resume (unless you're a recent grad).
- Add any volunteer work after the education as “Community Involvement” or “Volunteer Activities.”
- Don't include personal interests--keep the document strictly professional.
- Use a font size between 10 – 12 and include plenty of spacing between job descriptions so the resume is easy to read.
- Ask a friend or family member to proof read your resume so it is ready for applications.