Since I read resumes as part of my job now, I've started to realize that quite a few bright people miss out on good jobs because they have no clue about how to put their vitae together. So here are my seven lucky tips for getting that resume underneath the door far enough to stick your foot in after it:
- Don't keep it simple, stupid!
Some people think that merely listing their job and educational history will constitute a solid resume. This isn't the case. If you say that you have an MBA from Harvard University and worked as an investment banker on Wall Street for several years, but don't say exactly what you did, the bean counter reading your resume probably won't be too moved. Now, if you take credit for holding the positions of 20,000 investors during a market slump, you'll look good. Always point out what you actually did, not just what you were.
- Avoid stating the obvious.
Some people might read the advice in point 1 and write: "WEB DESIGNER. Designed Web pages." Well, no shit. Don't be redundant like that: it just makes you look like an idiot. Which leads us to another key point:
- Be specific: almost anally so.
This is especially important if you're in tech-related fields. As Tarantoga has noted, most HR goons scan stacks of resumes for certain keywords. If the IT department needs an SQL person and you've simply written "database experience" on your resume, you'll be waysided. Even if the HR person knows what SQL is, they won't want to take the time to call you and ask you about it when twenty other people have explicitly put "SQL experience" down. Make sure you list absolutely everything you know about such areas, down to the most minute details if possible.
- Embellish to your heart's content.
Building on that last point, you want to load your resume with areas that you're good at. So if you can write enough HTML to get around E2, say you have "extensive HTML experience." If you've ever so much as touched Adobe Photoshop before, claim to be really good at it. Then, if it turns out they actually need someone who's really good at it, you can bunker down with the manual for a weekend and be an expert on Monday morning.
- One page is good: two solid pages are better.
Some people claim that a resume has to be just one page. In reality, a resume should be as long as you can make it without constantly repeating yourself or writing it in 20-point font. If you can make your resume four pages long, and it's still concise, then you have an excellent resume.
- Sweat the small stuff, because it's not small stuff.
Don't be afraid to mention that you ran cross country in college, or directed the choir at church, or became an M-noder. That all fleshes out who you are, and makes you look like a more interesting person. Seriously.
- Be creative.
I got a resume once from an old lady who ran an Irish cultural society. She printed it on paper that was embossed with a green Celtic pattern. I didn't have anything for her to do at the time, but I still think of how pretty her resume was, and whether or not I could find something for her. There are many employers out there who think like me, and who constantly remember the witty, well-designed, and outlandish resumes they've gotten. Make yours memorable, too.