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12 Resume Tips: How to Create a One-Page Wonder

12 Resume Tips: How to Create a One-Page Wonder

1. Keep it one page.

Do you know how much time a recruiter spends looking at your resume on the first go-around? 7.4 seconds.1 Whoa. So if they have to flip or scroll through pages of your accomplishments and past experience, this party could be over before it even starts. Keeping things simple, relevant and to-the-point will earn you some respect right off the bat. If things go well here, you'll have the opportunity to answer the most common interview questions in person!

Try including a link to an online portfolio or professional website if you have one-that way you'll be able to showcase more of your work without taking up space on your actual resume.

2. Make sure your contact info is professional.

Nobody wants to get in touch with [email protected]. Don't use your college email address either. Just a normal, boring email account with your first and last name will get the job done.

 

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And I know I'm talking to adults here, but I just have to say it: Double-check all your social media accounts to make sure they're recruiter-friendly, especially if you include any of your social media handles on your resume. But even those should only be on your resume if they're relevant to the position you're applying for. For most jobs, your LinkedIn account is the only one you need to include.

3. Skip the bio and (maybe) the photo.

It used to be trendy to put a paragraph about yourself at the top of your resume, but let's let that trend die-especially if you're also submitting a cover letter with your application. You don't need to put an elevator pitch or your life story under your name at the top of your resume. Remember, we're keeping this relevant and to-the-point!

When it comes to photos, be strategic about whether or not you put a thumbnail on your resume. It could make sense to include one if you're applying for a modeling, acting or other creative job, but accounting? Yeah, they probably don't care what you look like or if your resume is "fun." And even though recruiters aim to stay as unbiased as possible during the interview process, a less-than-great photo could subconsciously affect their impression of you, even if they don't mean for it to. So if you do decide to go with the thumbnail option, make sure it's not pixelated, blurry or too small to see.

4. Keep the job listing in mind.

Recruiters post job descriptions for a reason-they want to be clear and specific about what qualities and skills they're looking for. Look for those buzzwords and find ways to work them into your resume. Be honest about your skill set and don't get discouraged if you don't have every skill on the list. It could actually be a good thing to be slightly underqualified-you want to be challenged in your new role! And many employers are willing to work with you and train you when you first step into the job.

I know it might sound like a lot of work to tailor your resume to each job application, but that effort will really pay off. Recruiters will know that you took the time to read all the info and are seriously interested in their company, not just sending a cookie-cutter application to hundreds of different jobs.

5. Tell the truth.

Okay, this one is a no-brainer interview tip in general, but enough people have lied or "stretched the truth" on their job applications to make it worth mentioning. Don't say you know someone at the company if you've never talked to them before. Don't say you know how to use Excel and PowerPoint if you really don't. It'll just make you look shady when the recruiter asks you for more specifics (or worse, if you do get hired and then they have to show you how to make a spreadsheet.)

6. Make it easy to read.

When building your resume, put yourself in the recruiter's position. What would you be looking for? You'd probably want something that's clear and easy on the eyes, right? Here are some things that can help with that:

  • Use 10-12 point font.
  • Use a professional text, like Helvetica, Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, etc. (no Comic Sans unless you're going for the community-center-bulletin-board look).
  • Keep your headers simple, with concise bullet points below them.
  • Don't use too many variations in font size, color and style (bold, italics or underline).

Sure, there's room for some creativity, but nothing too crazy-think streamlined and classic. Recruiters will love you for it, because you'll make their job easier!

7. Use active words.

Recruiters are used to seeing words like "managed" or "led" on resumes, and there's nothing wrong with those words. But what if the language was just a little more engaging? Here are a few active, interesting and not-too-fancy words to use where it makes sense:

  • Produced
  • Executed
  • Engineered
  • Initiated
  • Developed
  • Coordinated
  • Simplified
  • Partnered
  • Coached
  • Advised
  • Delivered
  • Maximized

You get the picture. Again, you want to make sure the words you use to describe what you did are truthful, but spend some time with a thesaurus to see if there's a more descriptive way to say it.

8. Explain why you're a good fit.

Remember when we talked about tailoring your resume to each job you're applying for? Your resume should include a few words about why you want to work for this company. It's one thing to know that someone wants to work for you, but if you see that they genuinely care about the company and its mission, wouldn't you be way more likely to want them on your team? I know I would.

9. Give concrete examples.

When talking about your past experience, it's a good idea to quantify it by using some kind of number or measure of success. That will give recruiters a clear picture of the kinds of results you deliver! Here are a few examples:

  • Increased sales by 200% in one year.
  • Structured, wrote and posted 4–5 articles per week.
  • Served 20–30 clients per week and generated $10,000 in revenue per month.

Even if your past experience doesn't involve sales or you never knew how much revenue you brought in, you can find some way to explain the work you did in terms of numbers.

10. Proofread.

Spelling and grammar are your friends, folks! Even just one case of using the wrong "their" can sway a recruiter's opinion, so read over everything more than once. Proofreading is like making sure you don't have a mustard stain on your interview outfit before you walk inside!

Ask a few other people you trust to give you some feedback too-not just on the tiny details, but on the clarity and appearance of your resume as a whole.

11. Put your education last.

Ken, are you crazy? Education is the first thing you're supposed to put on your resume. Wrong! Always put the most important and relevant information first-and in most cases, that's not your education. Most recruiters don't care where you went to school, as long as you're educated in your field.

And don't forget to include any other training or educational courses that are relevant to the job you want!

12. Don't be afraid to use a template.

There's no shame in using a template to help you build your resume-in fact, it will make your life a whole lot easier. I've included two different templates in my Resume Guide that will help you get your resume where it needs to be in no time.

 

12 Resumé Tips: How To Create a One-page Wonder

Ken Coleman - https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/resume-writing-tips

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