Edit This with Steve Gamel

eff ective r esume 6 Keys To An

by Steve Gamel, Owner of Edit This

Crafting a standout resume is easier said than done. You could be a young person fresh out of college with only a few internships under your belt, or a 30-year veteran with a seemingly unending list of accomplishments. Clearly, it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.

What do you put on there? What do you leave off? What are the keywords I need to use to nab this job? The answers to these questions are different for every job hunter in every career field. What’s more is that I did a quick non-scientific poll of the internet and it appears most employers and recruiters only spend roughly six seconds reviewing a single resume. Why do we even put in the time? But it remains important to craft an amazing resume and to keep it up to date at all times. The emphasis should not only be on highlighting your educational and professional achievements, but doing so in a way that makes those six seconds count. If an employer really likes you, surely they will read deeper. One of the many things I do at Edit This is help business professionals craft their resume. I take pride in it because I know what it’s like to be on the job hunt. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, here are 6 tips to keep in mind: Avoid grammatical errors Just for grins, I went back and found my first resume. It was filled with so many punctuation mistakes and style errors that I wish I could travel back in time just to slap my younger self. No employer will take you seriously if your attention to detail is that horrible. Read through what you have, then have someone you trust read over it. Create a clear header Make sure your header has all the necessary contact information (your name and updated phone number, email, address, etc.) and that it’s properly centered all in one easy-to-find and prominent location at the top of the page. No need to get cute; it makes the whole thing harder to read. No empl oyer will ta ke you seri ous ly if your att enti on to detail is th at horri ble.

Own your summary statement There are recruiters and business professionals who don’t think having a summary statement near the top of your resume is important. I couldn’t disagree more. A summary statement allows you to quickly summarize your qualifications and what your objective is in a way that allows you to speak directly to whomever you are attempting to work for.

Stay organized Make sure everything on your resume is clearly organized and includes names of previous employers, positions held, responsibilities, and key dates worked. Start with your most recent job and work back in reverse order.

Avoid generalities Highlight your educational and professional achievements, so make sure you are specific when you do that. Instead of saying, “responsible for increasing business,” you should be saying, “Increased sales revenue by 75% over a two-year span.”

Force yourself to have a cutoff point A general rule of thumb is to keep your resume to a page to a page and a half, including your education history, any certifications, and references.

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