How To Do Wednesday: How To NOT Get Your Resume Tossed Out

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For this How To Do Wednesday, I am so excited to announce a two part, ask an expert series for those of you who may be looking for a job. I was fortunate enough to sit down with  former recruiting manager, Brigitte* and got to pick her brain. She provided a ton of great information about common mistakes in resumes and great tips on how to make yourself stand out from the pile.

Your Resume
You have 30 seconds to impress someone with your resume.If an employer cannot find what they are looking for within that time, they will move on to the next. With this being said, you want the most important information shown at the top of your resume. You can do this by:
  • Writing an objective (no more than 1-2 sentences) or
  • Listing technical skills
  • Listing education
  • Use an appropriate email address
Your technical skills should include all skills,like Microsoft Office for example, because it should not be assumed that everyone knows how to use these programs.

 AVOID
  • Typos
  • Slang
  • Abbreviations
  • Hard to read font/ font size
  • Misuse of words (ex: accept, except)
  • Pictures/ logos of any kind
  • Listing anything about references (you will need to provide them either way)
Do not use a template. Websites like Monster and CareerBuilder offer them but it's a great way to get tossed out of the pile. You want to stand out and using a template will not help you do that when 100 other people are doing the same thing.


Listing Job Duties
Experience is so important in landing a good job. When writing your resume, you want to make sure that you fit as many qualifications as necessary to land a position. Some tips for listing job duties include:
  • Using all past tense language even in you are still currently at a job
  • Explaining what you did and what value it has in once sentence (ex: assisted company in tripling earnings within one month by etc)

Cover Letter
Include a cover letter! I know, really? Yes because again, you want to stand out. This letter is a formal letter so you will be able to get right to the point. Since Brigitte is so awesome and felt that it was extremely important, she gave me a template of sorts for you to use!

Date

Your Street Address
City, State Zip

Company Name
Street Address
City, State Zip

Dear <person>

First Paragraph: Where you found the position, on what date you found it, and where you heard about the position.

Second Paragraph: Should be approximately 10-12 sentences long.In this paragraph, you should explain why you would be good for this position. Take time to write about what qualifies you for this position, including why you would make a good fit for the company.

Closing Paragraph: You are interested and look forward to hearing a response. Be sure to include your phone number and email address so the employer can contact you without having to look at your resume for that information.

Closing,

<5 Spaces>

Your Name Typed

You should sign your letter in the blank space, above your typed name after printing.

TIPS
DO
Address your letter to someone in the company; do not use Dear Sir or Madam. To get a name of someone that works in a company, just simply search for the company on LinkedIn or the company's own website. If your letter is not addressed to someone, it may be tossed out. Addressing it will ensure that your letter is delivered.

 AVOID
  • Typos
  • Slang
  • Abbreviations
  • Hard to read font/ font size
  • Misuse of words (ex: accept, except)
  • Pictures/ logos of any kind 
Where to Find Positions
  • LinkedIn- in both job searches and connecting with people from companies that interest you
  • Job Recruiters (will provide resume help)
  • Great websites online. My personal favorite is Indeed.com.
 *name has been changed for fun

**Thank you for reading! I hope that you found these tips helpful. Have some tips of your own? Leave them in the comments below. Part two (Interviews) to come next week Wednesday!**

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