27 Apr What you ‘must’ include in a resume

Producing a ‘great’ resume can be hard to achieve if you are new to the job market – and even if you’re not.

Whether you are fresh out of school, university or well experienced, knowing what to document and how it should be displayed can mean the difference between being read or being binned.

Recruitment firms and self advertisers see hundreds of resumes that look boring, have little detail and commonly – an overuse of clichés. We know, we know…, you’re all “hard working team players”.

New comers to the job market are going to have a thin resume; content-wise. So follow these tips and use them as a checklist while writing your next resume:

Appearance is everything:

When you go in for an interview you want to look the part, so why should your resume be any different? Don’t be afraid to use a cover letter and include colour and design. The covering letter could include your career highlights or address briefly, how you meet the role criteria.

Online Presence (Word, PDF, website, LinkedIn, Facebook)

Having a resume presented for a role is great, but know the recruiter is likely to Google you to make the final decision on if you are called for an interview. This can also depend on the type or role you are applying for. However, your online presence is just as important as your written resume. If you use LinkedIn make sure this profile matches your resume for example, job titles, periods of employment and tasks.  When sending in your resume, ensure you provide a PDF to ensure it can be opened. And remember, check and re-check spelling. Poor spelling shows you do not have attention to detail.

Examples of work

Having your own website can be a great investment to show off what you have done and can do – and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Again, this may be best suited for someone applying for a marketing or graphic design, or even finance job. Having a website can also help you standout over a competing applicant. With most resumes being emailed, make sure you include a hyperlink to your website so it saves the recruiter the effort of searching.

Avoid clichés

Recruiters and employers see the overuse of clichés all the time; “I’m hard-working”, “I’m a team player”. Instead, provide quantifiable examples of what you have done, and what you’ve helped an organisation achieve. That will give you huge brownie points.

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• First name
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If you are looking for your first or next job, visit jobs.recruitsmart.com.au or call 8274 2105.