What Makes a Great Resume?

In today's job market, having a good resume isn't enough. You need a truly great resume to catch the eye of a busy hiring manager and actually secure an interview. Make sure your resume has the following components to ensure it gets the second look that helps you land the job.

An Executive Summary

Replace the outmoded objective statement with a snappy executive summary. An executive summary sums up how you see yourself career-wise. This section, placed prominently at the top of your resume, is just a few sentences telling what makes you unique in your field. Share what you are great at and what you are interested in while focusing on the traits that distinguish you from other applicants.

Quantifiable Achievements

Keep the professional experience section of your resume focused on quantifiable achievements. Mention how much you saved your company or how many deals you closed. If 50 resumes say that the applicant saved the company money, but your resume says that you saved the company $10,000 in your first year, your resume will be the one pulled for the interview. Make sure to include a few words telling how you made that happen. Great resumes also put the most recent achievements closer to the top and provide brief company descriptions along with the company names, especially for smaller, lesser known organizations.

Keywords

It is essential that you pay attention to keywords. Not every company uses applicant tracking software, but enough do to make it important to select words that match the exact words used in the job description when describing your accomplishments and skills. To craft a great resume, take some time to align your word choices with the standard words used in your industry.

Consistent Branding

Social media is here to stay, and more and more companies check applicants out online before calling them. Be consistent by using the same name on your resume and your professional online profiles. Build a great resume by putting a link to your professional profile near the top along with your other contact information. Make sure that the information on your online profile matches the information on your resume, and update it regularly. Keep things simple by using only one phone number and one email address professionally, and make sure they are up to date and accurate everywhere you go.

Simple Fonts and Basic Colors

Technology makes it easy to be creative, but it is best to keep your resume simple, with a basic black font and a white or ivory background. Avoid using images, as they can confuse applicant tracking software, and include plenty of white space so that your information is easy to scan. Great resumes also use bulleted lists for achievements and other important information so that hiring managers can find out the important things with just a quick glance.

Hiring managers spend an average of six seconds looking at each resume, so make sure that yours is a great resume. Use professional formatting with plenty of white space and bulleted lists, include a concise executive summary at the top, and focus on your quantifiable achievements, starting with the most recent. Don't let a poor resume keep you from getting an interview and being hired for the job.

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net