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Free Resume Review
Looking for a free resume review? You might want to consider if you are unsure what your resume should look like and if you don't know for sure what to emphasize.
Having a resume that clearly demonstrates your expertise, conveys a clear message and showcases your strengths and accomplishments is essential especially in today's economic market. You need a resume that tells the employer that you are the best fit for the job. So how do you do that?
Here is a free resume evaluation video that discusses formatting and style, and touches just a bit on content. The video will cover the following:
Take a look at our Free Resume Review Video:
Before
After
Etti Simon Before: Before Resume
Example
Etti Simon After: After Resume
Example
Video Transcript: Before and
After Resume Review Transcript
What to Emphasize
Be sure to emphasize your name on the page. If you’re using an Arial or Times New Roman font, try 18 - 20 font size for the name. We want to draw the readers’ eyes towards the top of the page and then down.
- Bold contact information so it is easier for a hiring manager to see.
- The font for the title could be about 14 - 16 font for greater impact.
What to Avoid
- Eliminate any chance of ageism by going back less than 20 years on the document.
- Avoid the use of personal pronouns in the resume – employ other strategies to emphasize experience and expertise.
What to Consider
If you use a Career Highlights section:
Be sure it is actually filled with career highlights.
- Example of a not so good career highlight: Great attention to detail.
- Example of a better career highlight: Manage multimillion dollar technical operations across multiple sites in support of more than 500 users.
You might want to include a Core Competencies section instead of a Career Highlights section:
- Include keywords relevant to your experience.
- Align keywords to the positions for which you apply.
In the Professional Experience area:
- Don’t start your jobs with the years worked. Because we read from left to right, the years appear to hold the most importance or weight in the sentence. Start with either the title or the name of the company.
- Mention your duties in a paragraph.
- Bullet your accomplishments – these are much more important than duties. The reader's eye is more apt to go to the bullets, so we want them to see what you’ve accomplished.
Consider a Technical Skills section:
- Take advantage of your ability to use keywords again by adding in a technical skills area.
- If you’re an expert with the Microsoft Office Suite or Dreamweaver mention it. You can place this below your education.
Content:
- Have at least three or four solid accomplishments for each of the positions in which you worked.
- If possible, your accomplishments should align with the expertise needed in the jobs for which you apply.
Be sure that your resume is rich with keywords related to the jobs for which you’re applying and that you are showcasing your expertise. Tailor your resume to each position before you send it out. You want to ensure that your resume meets the needs of the employer. This is exactly what job seekers need to ensure they get interviews especially in this current economic market.
Before you send out your resume to another employer, be sure to take a look at the before and after resumes and free resume critique at http://www.avitacareermanagement.com - just select the Resume Writing Services page.
We wish you the very best in your future career endeavors!