It’s a fact that recruiters do a 20-second scan for resumes – automatically if I may add. It’s not because we are lazy, it is more of the time frame we have, checking the piles of resumes we got in our emails or updating job boards, that we eventually develop an inside algorithm in our head to screen applicants, a process hard to put in a paper. To help you polish your resume (especially for new job seekers), here are the 7 things your resume needs.
1. Your resume needs to be cohesive.
Everything that was written in your resume must have a cohesive result. We want people on board because they want to build a career, not a casual employee who might leave in 3 months. A resume with scattered thoughts (like different job positions in a short span) makes us wonder if you really know which career you want.
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2. Your resume needs less – fonts.
We do not need fancy formats. A simple font is okay with a highlight of things you want to stand out (say your position, achievement or educational background). Need some inspiration for the format? Check out the ever-reliable Microsoft Word and even Google drive for free templates!
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3. Target and tailor-fit.
It will be great if you can tailor-fit your resume for the position you would like to apply for. Example, highlight your sales achievement for sales related opening or your consistent top customer satisfaction scores for BPO jobs. This is one of the important things that your resume needs!
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4. Don’t brag about it
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Highlight your achievements, not fancy job descriptions. We know job descriptions. And we know how to use Google as well. A short job description is okay, but your achievement is the factor that makes your resume stands out from the rest.
5. What, When and Where
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Mention your educational achievements. This is very important especially for the special skills job openings that you want to apply to. Don’t forget to include related seminars and training you had previously attended. I would like to emphasize the word “related”. This is what recruiters call the “What, When and Where”. This applies to your work experience, studies, hobbies… We want to know you better and we like to put people “in a box”, and categorize applicants.
6. Any superpowers?
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Tell us about your Additional Skills. Are you an awesome web designer in your free time? You previously organized a whole funfair in your village and raised funds for an association? Can you breathe underwater for 5 minutes long? Okay, the last one was irrelevant. Without losing focus along the way, never be shy to include your extra talents, candidates with a variety of skills are always welcome. And you might end up being the “Swiss Army Knife” your new boss was desperately looking for!
7. Be considerate of OUR time
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One last little thing, please make it short! When we say we spend 20 seconds on a resume, we literally go to the next one after a fast oversight, unless you caught our attention with something bold, clear, and impactive. It is not that we don’t care about new job seekers, trust me, we do… But we cannot allow more time to screen hundreds of resumes a day!
The good thing about this is, good recruiters have a photographic memory for applicants. In case your qualifications did not meet the 1st job opening, don’t worry about when there’s an opening suitable for you, we remember your resume and will get in touch with you asap!
Remember this: your resume is like your Facebook profile picture! It is your first impression, and in some sad cases, the last…
We hope that this list of what your resume needs to help you to snag your dream job!
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