What Makes a Winning Resume?

If you want to impress a hiring manager and land an interview, you need a winning resume. Your resume is your best chance to show a company you are a person they want to talk to. If you don’t make a great first impression, your resume is likely to end up in recycling and you may never get a chance to land the job of your dreams.

So, how can you ensure you create a winning resume sure to impress even the most demanding hiring manager? These tips will help:

• Tailor your resume to the job ad. Your resume shouldn’t be a generic one. Read the job ad carefully to find out the skills the employer is looking for, and use your resume to show you have those abilities.
• Capture the hiring manager’s interest immediately. The information that is most interesting to your employer should be highlighted at the top of your resume and easy to see. You want a hiring manager to know with one glance you are a good fit for the position.
• Choose the right resume format. You don’t necessarily need to use a traditional chronological resume if a skills-based resume would be a better way to highlight your professional accomplishments. Be sure to choose the right resume format to best show you’re the ideal candidate.
• Provide specific proof of quantifiable success. Don’t use vague buzzwords on your resume. Instead, provide proof of success in the form of measurable achievements. Highlight awards you’ve won and milestones you have achieved at work.
• Make sure your resume is the appropriate length. Your resume should not be too long or the hiring manager isn’t going to read it. Ideally, your resume should run no more than one to two pages, depending upon the length of your career history.
• Include only relevant information on your resume. You do not need to include every job you have ever had on your resume. Include only the careers most relevant to your position.
• Make certain your resume is error free. You don’t want any typos or mistakes on your resume. Check to ensure everything is correct, including your most recent contact information.

When you have prepared a great resume, you need to get that resume in front of the right companies. SmartTalent can help.

Our staffing service can connect you with companies looking for people just like you. To find out more about how we help job seekers in Kirkland, Fife, Renton, Lacey, Lynnwood, Everett and surrounding areas, give us a call today.