Redefining your resume
Resumes are the key to getting your foot in the door at any organisation. As a Career Consultant, many of my clients have been asking for support on redefining and reshaping their resume. I always start with the basics; resume structure. A typical resume should include the following headings:
A Personal profile: Usually 2-3 sentences or 4-5 bullet points at the beginning of your resume covering off HOW and WHY you are unique. It’s your chance to make a significant first impression and create a ‘hook’.
Contact Details: As resumes can be a maximum of 2 pages (absolutely no more than that), your contact details should be clearly and easily found on each page. It should include your full name, LinkedIn profile, telephone number(s), links to portfolios or your website and your email.
Professional Experience: I prefer the heading ‘professional’ as it enables you to list both paid and unpaid work under this heading. Sometimes using simply the title ‘work experience’ implies that it was paid work. I usually suggest the following format as it’s easily read and enables the reader to see your career timeline/story.
Job Title MONTH YEAR – MONTH YEAR/PRESENT
Company name | City, Country
International or Volunteer Experience: globalisation is calling on our ability as a candidate to showcase the work we’ve done regionally, nationally, and if possible, internationally. I always suggest clients showcase their experience internationally and ‘how they give back’ in a separate section. You can tell a lot by a person by what they give their free time to. Employers like to get a holistic picture of candidates applying for positions. This section should be formatted the same as your ‘Professional Experience’ section
Education: I keep this short, sweet and simply list formal education obtained (e.g. degree name, dates and location). Remember, your education is typically one checkmark on the hiring list of qualifications.
Technology: Tech skills are crucial to succeed in workplaces today. I strongly suggest you break out the softwares/tech you use into subcategories (e.g. marketing, CSM, design, analytical tools etc.). These subcategories will vary by field/experience, but it helps to compartmentalise your tech skills.
Certifications: I personally like to list my certifications separately from my Education section. To me, this is further education I’ve obtained to help shape my career or to gain further knowledge in a specific area.
Award & Honours: Always great to highlight achievements as they make you stand out!
Interests: Don’t underestimate the power of your interest. Remember that common interests are great conversation starters so show a bit of personality in this section.
There are many possibilities but solid resumes touch on the above experiences. Essentially, you want to paint a vibrant and attractive picture of yourself so much so a hiring manager wants to bring you in for an interview. The best thing you can do with your resume is show it to as many of your friends and contacts in varying industries as possible. We all have our own lens through which we view the world and their view or perspective of your resume will help strengthen it. Feedback is your friend!
Resume writing
This can be a blog of it’s own so instead, please visit this site for a breakdown of action verbs you can add to your resume. Using strong action verbs not only adds depth to your role descriptions but also helps to better sell your experience and skillset. Canva may also be an additional resource for those looking for a simple way to design their resume – as being visually appealing can keep the eye of readers longer.
Do’s and Don’ts
- DO – describe your previous experience in 4-5 bullet points (max) each.
- DON’T – use your photo or age. We want to avoid personal details that may lead to descrimitation. Hate that this happens, but sadly it’s a reality.
- DO – bring your personality into your resume especially, the way you tell your story throughout the document.
- DON’T – leave unexplained gaps on your resume. Where possible, explain why you may have been looking for work. It’s tough and people will understand, but they want to know your full career story.
- DO – consider the reader and the overall flow of your document. Are there punctuation mistakes or spelling mistakes? Can a reader easily navigate your document or is it clunky? This is where feedback is essential.
- DON’T – be generic be YOU – there is only one you so why waste time being like others. It’s your time to shine.
- DO – customise your resume to each position by tailoring the language, keywords and your overall experience as presented on your resume.
- DO – revisit your resume every month. This is my steadfast rule. Even whilst remaining in the same position, what you do each month may change so you want to keep track of the experience you’re gaining.
- DO – keep a list of everything you’ve ever done. Having a place to park your experience is essential for when you need to quickly craft a resume for a position. Think of it as a walk in closet.
I could go on, but I want you to feel motivated to just start. The key to success is to believe, envision and persevere!
