Dos and Don’ts of a Professional Resume

The importance of a proper professional resume can be determined by the fact that it can lead an individual who does not have enough experience to get an instant reply from the hiring manager and a bad resume can hold you back from ever getting a callback even if you are a qualified individual and have all the required experience for the job. No matter what qualifications you have or how experienced you are, a resume can make or break your professional career. Your resume is the first thing that a hiring manager sees and this is why it is such an important part of the recruiting process. This is also why there are so many professional resume writing services in Arizona.

Although if you want to make an impressive professional resume on your own, here is a checklist of things your resume should include as well as the things your resume would be better off without. Make sure you read through this list to ensure you create a professional resume that will make you stand out among the other candidates and land you an interview.

Dos of Professional Resume Writing

Tailoring the Resume to the Targeted Job

One of the most crucial and first things that you should do when creating a resume is to ensure that it is directly tailored to meet the requirements of your targeted job or position. Long gone are the days of using the same resume to apply for every job and tailoring your resume to the exact job you are applying to is very important nowadays if you want to be considered. Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes on daily basis and they can easily spot a general resume that does not make a good impression and makes you look lazy and undedicated. You want the hiring manager to see how dedicated you are and this can be done by making sure your resume fits the job description to the T.

Follow the Standard Resume Format

A professional resume should always follow the standard format so that it can be read by the ATS software that most companies use to scan potential candidates. Following the standard resume format will not only make your resume readable and easy to understand but will also ensure that you have not annoyed the hiring manager by sending in a resume that they can have trouble reading. If a resume follows the standard format, a hiring manager can easily scan through it without having to look hard to find basic information. The most common resume format that you should follow is

Start the resume by writing your Full Name and Contact Information at the top
Write an engaging and informative Profile Summary
List down all your Skills that are relevant to the job including Technical Skills or your Areas of Expertise
List down your Professional Experience (starting and end dates) in reverse chronological order
Write down your Education including the degree title and name of the institute starting from the most recent. You can also include certifications in this section.
List down any additional information such as your Awards or Memberships.

Mind the Length of your Resume

Although the length of your resume will depend upon your experience, the standard length is 1 to 2 pages long. It can be extended to 3 pages if you are an executive-level professional with tens of years of experience. The best way to make sure your resume maintains a good length is to keep all the information precise. You do not have to talk about any unnecessary details in your resume such as reasons behind career gaps or discuss any of your projects in great detail. You can also choose to omit jobs that are not relevant to your current targeted position and are older than 10 years ago.

Don’ts of Professional Resume Writing

Not Including a Cover Letter in Your Application

Including a cover letter with your resume is probably the best thing you can do to ensure that your job application gets noticed. Since a resume is strictly professional and only includes professional information and data, a cover letter provides you with a chance to personally connect with the hiring manager and explain a lot more about yourself than you can in a resume. Including a cover letter with your resume showcases you are dedicated and it will make a positive impact on the hiring manager. You can also use the cover letter to talk about why you will be perfect for a specific position and how you can help the organization.

Including Personal Information

A resume is a professional document that should not contain anything other than what your employer really needs to know. Including unnecessary personal information that is of no help to the recruiter like your age, marital status, or religion will only make your resume look unprofessional. You should also consider if there is any point in including a photo unless you are applying for a position such as modeling and even then, it is better to attach a separate work portfolio rather than including a picture in your resume. Another thing that you should strictly omit from your resume is any negative information such as reasons for leaving your previous job, failed ventures or projects, or badmouthing your previous employer.

Including White Lies in Your CV

People usually believe that including a little white lie on their resume will not cause any harm however, you need to understand that the hiring managers reviewing your resume can easily spot these lies. A lie is a lie and it has no space in your professional resume and nothing good will come from it. If a recruiter decides to run a background check on you or talk to any of your previous employees, your lies will come to the light and make you look really unprofessional. This is why it is best to be upfront about your experience or lack of it and never include any lies on your resume.

Using Jargon and Technical Terms

Avoid using difficult words or jargon in your resume because the hiring manager might not be able to understand them. You can also limit the use of technical terms in your resume to make it easy to read. Although some jobs require the use of a lot of technical terms and they can showcase your experience in a field, it is better to use them as keywords and list them down in the Skills section of your resume.

Conclusion

These are some of the easiest tips that can help you make the perfect resume or you can simply take help from any of the top resume writing services in Arizona to get a professional resume that follows all the rules. Remember a resume is supposed to present your professional experience and make the hiring manager see why you can be a good fit for the job but you will also need to practice for the interview because it is equally important.

FAQs | Privacy Policy | Terms And Conditions | Blogs

An HRSPlanet Technologies LLC Company