Top 10 Resume Tips to Help you Land a Job

Building your resume can be challenging especially if you are starting from scratch.  Whether you are looking for work straight out of high school or have been in the professional workforce for 10+ years, you should have a well-written resume to stand out from the millions of others searching for job opportunities.

Every year, at HireLevel, we hire over 9,000 employees from light industrial (Warehouse Associates, Forklift Drivers, Welders) to more professional positions (Nurses, Managers, Call Center Reps, Clerical, etc.). On average, we review over 3,000 resumes every month.

Here are the top 10 resume tips to help you stand out, get noticed, and get hired.

Tip 1: Look for important keywords in job postings

Whether you are looking for a job on Indeed, Facebook, Zip Recruiter, etc. make sure you read the job descriptions thoroughly.  Search for the most common keywords in the job descriptions and utilize those keywords in your resume where relevant.

If you’re applying for a job as a Forklift Operator, an employer may list keywords like “forklift certification,” “forklift experience,” or “loading and unloading,” in the job description.  If you have these skills, it would be important to add them to your resume.

Tip 2: Use short, bullet points

Think about how you like to read content? The use of bullet points can help highlight important information, direct the reader to themed lists, and improve a document’s overall readability.  At HireLevel, our recruiters look on average at 100 resumes a day.  They should be able to pick up your resume and pull the most important information out within 30 seconds or less.  The way to do that, highlight the most important skills and accomplishments in bullet points rather than in paragraph format.

Tip 3: Check for Spelling/Grammar Mistakes

Improper grammar on a resume can take you out of the hiring game quickly.  59% of recruiters will reject a candidate because of poor grammar or a spelling error.  Your level of qualification could be disregarded based on only a few grammatical errors.  Don’t only rely on spellcheckers, read through your resume at least 3 times and have a friend/family member review as well.

Tip 4: Think of your resume as a marketing tool

Your resume shouldn’t list everything you have ever done in your career.  It should include a summary of your experiences that best capture your skills.  Select your top three or four most important achievements in each role you’ve had.  Focus on the last couple of years and ask yourself: “What have you done that has made an impact?”

Tip 5: Keep it Consistent

Formatting should be consistent throughout your entire resume.  There are hundreds of free resume templates you can choose from that will help with this.  Each position on your resume should include a title, place of employment, location, and date range of the year.

Indeed provides 100’s of examples at https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resume-samples

Tip 6: Make sure your resume is up to date

A common complaint from recruiters is a disconnected or incorrect phone number on a resume.  Do you have the most recent job information on your resume?  Are your phone number and email address correct?

Tip 7: Use a Professional Email Address

This may be obvious but very important.  The use of an unprofessional email address will get you rejected 76% of the time. 

Tip 8:  Use a Readable Font

The resume should be easy to the eye and as clear as possible.  You should use basic fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman.  You also want to keep your font size between 10 and 12 points.

Tip 9:  Resume Length

A past debate, should my resume only be one page?  Recent studies suggest that recruiters prefers a two-page resume.  Data shows that recruiters are 2.9 more likely to pick a candidate with a two-page resume for managerial roles and 1.4x more likely for entry-level positions.

Tip 10:  Resume Sections

In every resume, you should have at least 5 sections including personal information, work experience, education, skills, and summary/objects.  Other sections that could be added include certificates, publications, etc.

Your resume tells your story, so make it memorable for recruiters and hiring managers.

Looking for work? 

HireLevel is hiring now nationwide – quick apply now at www.hirelevel.com/apply or learn more about our opportunities at jobs.hirelevel.com.

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