Is your Resume Winning Interviews?

There is quite a bit that needs to go into writing a Resume, especially if you want to award yourself with an incredible interview. Employers can receive hundreds of resumes in response to an advertised position. For every hundred Resumes received, only a few Resumes stand out from the crowd.

Wouldn’t you want your Resume to shine brighter than the rest?

Interview winner Resume guidelines

With a well-written Resume, the…

very top should always include basic personal information, such as name, address, contact phone number and email address. After personal information, the first section should include a short Summary paragraph, of no more than three to four sentences, discussing the strong suites of the candidate. In addition, this summary shows that the candidate can construct basic sentences. It may seem a surprise that people cannot assemble simple sentences with basic grammar, but an error-free Resume is actually quite rare. Some hiring managers will not consider candidacy if they even find one mistake. Following the summary, should be either Core Competencies, (for non-specialized industries), or Technical Proficiencies (for specialized technical or financial industries). This section sets the tone for the remainder of the document and attracts the Recruiter or HR representative’s attention. In addition, Hiring Managers can determine immediately if the candidate has the necessary abilities to perform the advertised job.

Professional experience – “proven track-record”

The next section should discuss the candidate’s Professional Experience. This is where each job needs to be correctly formatted with consistent dates, and detailed information as to the tasks and accomplishments achieved. Highlight key measurable achievements and successes such as, cost savings, time savings, and process improvements to attract the employer and show them that the candidate has a proven track-record. The objective of this section is to connect skills, expertise, traits and job requirements with those the employer is seeking. Utilize a significant amount of industry keywords throughout each job experience to ensure a greater attraction to the Resume. For example, a candidate is applying for an executive position that has built high-level relationships in the past. A candidate may consider inserting, Built customer relationships with C-level clients, throughout their Professional Experience. Or a candidate seeking to apply for a job within the production industry may want to include statements such as, Streamlined communications, or Assumed production leadership and realized a 10% cost savings annually.

Quantity over Quality

Education is typically one of the last sections within the Resume. Employers want to see that the candidate attended and completed some level of education, but is typically more concerned with the quantity, quality and consistency of past accomplishments to show that they will continue those accomplishments at their place of employment. Awards may also be placed in this section, especially if they relate directly to professional experience, such as sales or technical awards. All of these items combined together with excellent spelling and grammar will produce an outstanding Resume. The flow of information within the Resume is imperative and must captivate the audience. Just remember, if the candidate can submit a Resume that flies through the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), they have most definitely won an interview.