Crafting a great resume is something that is not an easy feat. Being in the industry for almost 6 years I have seen thousands of resumes and I want to focus on not only what makes a good resume, but things that can ultimately ruin a resume and get your candidacy overlooked.
The Basics:
- Spelling and grammar: I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to make sure that your resume has proper grammar with no spelling errors. Unfortunately, this can give a prospect employer the impression that you are uneducated or not thorough. Haven’t you spent the time to perfect the basics of your resume? Use the tools that are provided to you to triple check spelling and always have at least one other person with fresh eyes review it. PRO TIP: Download and use Grammarly for Free!
- Format: Is your resume written in a format that is easy to read and follow? Is it chronological so one can see the progression of your career? Are you using a font that is easy to read? I want to preface my next statements with, there are exceptions to what I am about to say. If you are applying for a design or creative type of position, there is more flexibility to stray from the normal standards and formats. However, for most roles, stick with a black 10 or 11-point font that is easy to read (we stick with Times New Roman). Be consistent with your fonts and layout. I have seen resumes where a different font is used throughout, and it makes the resume appear messy and inconsistent.
Content:
- Be HONEST: I hate that I even have to reference this, but unfortunately, I see a lot of misrepresentation in candidate’s resume. I cannot explain the level of disappointment I have when I see an awesome resume, talk to a candidate and realize that their resume is not a true representation of their experience. I look at it two ways: first, if I find out someone has lied or falsified things on their resumes, I immediately disqualify them; I consider this person to be dishonest and that is not someone we want to represent us at our clients. Second, you will always get caught; I promise. Whether it be during the interview, or even if you get hired (somehow), it will become apparent at some point that you are unable to do what you said you can do. Why waste your time, my time and my clients time?
- You vs. Team: This goes hand in hand with #1 regarding honesty. This is usually not an intentional dishonest mistake, but it can appear that way. I am aware that many, if not most of candidate’s projects are team efforts. With that being said, be sure to highlight what you have done yourself, and make it clear what the team did collectively. I have had several cases where a candidate has listed parts of the project on their resume (but that other team members did) and this gave the impression that one had done it themselves, therefore taking credit for something they did not do, and claiming experience they weren’t involved with. Make it clear what you did yourself, vs what the team did to avoid any chance of appearing dishonest.
- Be Specific and Detailed: The idea of a one-page resume in the technical industry is not the standard. Myself and my clients want to see exactly what you have done. What was the project? What technologies were you using? What did you accomplish? Any additional statistics and numbers you can add is great. Were you able to accomplish a significant decrease in server downtime? Were you able to save the company/client money? If you can quantify things like this in your projects, add them! They are great things to see and make great impressions.
- Education and Certifications: Make sure they are on your resume! I do not care how long ago you received your degree, many companies require an education or some equivalency of experience or certification. Be sure to have them so you will not miss out on opportunities that require these. And, yet another point that references back to honesty. Do NOT include a degree that is not completed or a certification that you do not have. This will be discovered during a background check, and you will be removed from consideration immediately if you have lied on your resume. With that being said, if you are in progress of obtaining a degree or certification, you absolutely may include that. However, be sure to make that clear on your resume with adding a note of something such as “Expected on DATE” or “In Progress”.
General:
- Contact Information: Be sure to have contact information on your resume/profile and triple check it is correct and the best way to reach you. If we cannot get ahold of you, how can you be considered for an opportunity? In addition, make sure you are using a professional email address (not your old creative/cute AOL handle). I love that I can get a chuckle from these, but keep them off your professional materials such as your resume!
- LinkedIn: Be sure that if you are utilizing your LinkedIn to market yourself (which everyone should be), that it matches your resume! Do I need to say it again… Honesty! I must question the validity of someone’s resume if their LinkedIn has different dates, titles, etc.
I know that putting your resume together can be a difficult thing to accomplish, but there are hundreds of resources available to you to achieve an awesome resume. Use them! Rework them! Have friends or coworkers review them! Set yourself up for success! Land the job you want!
I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this piece and if there is anything you think I missed and that should be added, drop a comment below!