When is the last time you really dove deeply into your resume and cleaned it out? Most of us create a resume when we search for our first jobs and then add information with each career jump. We whittle down extraneous detail to add more recent information. However, times are shifting away from what is considered a traditional resume. With all of the technology that is right at our fingertips, people are still submitting bland Word files that get lost in the monotonous sea of other bland resumes. Job seekers are using out-of-date buzzwords like “motivated” or “works great on a team.” It’s 2015, and recruiters have seen it all. It’s time to spice it up and make it pop. We have a few friendly tips for how to clean your resume this spring.
First impressions
Even if you’re not applying for a creative-based position where a resume is essentially a portfolio piece on its own, it’s becoming more common to add a little extra flair. A tiny splash of color can go a long way in the sea of black text. Times New Roman isn’t a rule, but this doesn’t mean type your entire resume in Curlz MT either. It’s all about knowing the right amount of finesse to add. Resumes leave an impression before you ever get a chance to in person, so you’ll want to give the recruiter a reason for a second glance.
Take out the fluff – Clean your resume
Sometimes you’re actually doing more harm than good when you use filler words and fluff. Resumes are completely transparent to skilled recruiters and they can see right through these added “perks.” Let’s face it, the point of sending your resume out is to get a new job, so don’t waste the company’s time by saying generic statements that don’t carry much weight.
Bad: Detail-oriented or deadline-driven
Why these words are bad: Detail-oriented is expected out of a person for any job. Putting this on a resume is like saying, “I show up to work on time.” It’s not something that makes you stand out on paper. Instead, give a brief description of a major project you completed that’s notable. Deadline-driven falls along these same lines; it’s an evasive way to make it appear like you know what you’re doing. Instead, prove it with examples.
Bad: Assisted the CEO with projects
Why this phrase is bad: Assisted can mean any number of things, and without specifying what you assisted with, the possible employer can assume that you’re just adding filling words without examples to back it up. Once again, examples are crucial.
Resumes are not one-size-fits-all. You have to be willing to put in the work to make customization to fit the job descriptions. These don’t have to be drastic. For example, if the job is based on writing, you’ll want to list your experience with copy writing before your other credentials. Once you’ve completed your finely tuned resume, contact one of our talented recruiters so they can put your resume in the right hands!
