Lance Thompson, CPRW, TSC
Senior Technical & Staff Recruiter at MARS Solutions Group

In today’s modern workplace, and with the growing use of job boards, network sites, and social media aimed at sourcing qualified candidates for all types of roles, it is important that your resume showcases your skills, abilities, and major accomplishments. Below are crucial tips to remember when creating or tailoring a resume.

  1. When starting a resume, use either a summary (for multiple related roles and used to communicate main skills as well as areas of proficiency) or an objective (geared toward a specific type of role only). Do not use both.
  2. Make sure your resume is not excessively long or full. Concentrate on creating a short and to-the-point job description that highlights your main responsibilities and any major accomplishments that relate to the position you are applying for.
  3. When tailoring a resume to a specific role, look for keywords in the job posting(s). Carefully read the job posting(s), identify the major requirements for the role you are applying for, and include those keywords in your resume summary and any other place they are relevant. This will help tailor your resume and ensure it is keyword rich to help pass Applicant Tracking System (ATS) screenings. It will also help an employer, recruiter, or manager quickly and easily assess your background and relevant skills. Pay special attention to the content in sections that are titled “Requirements” or “Qualifications.”
  4. Whenever possible, include specific numbers, monetary achievements, and metrics. Achievements like this allow the reviewer to better understand the value you bring to the position.
  5. Avoid using templates. Employers often receive over 100 resumes for every single job posted online. You want to make sure yours stands out!
  6. Make sure to use a clean and professional font such as Arial, Palatino Linotype, Verdana, or Times New Roman. Keep your font size between 10 and 11 points.
  7. The normal amount of time to portray on a resume is typically 10-12 years to alleviate the potential for resume dating, as well as to remain relevant. If you are in the technology field, things such as applications, programs, and tools change so quickly that anything you did 10 years ago is probably going to be outdated and irrelevant.
  8. Use power words such as managed, directed, achieved, earned, drove, spearheaded, and accomplished. Normally 6-10 bullets per job should be more than enough to convey your major responsibilities and accomplishments. Select the top three or four most important achievements in each role you’ve held and those are the ones you should list.
  9. Always proofread for spelling and grammar. You can use spellcheck and other proofreading programs, as well as ask friends or colleagues to review your resume. Spelling and grammatical errors convey laziness and lack of attention to detail.

Good luck in your job search and click here to reach out to us if you’d like assistance! We’re happy to help.