Your resume is your gold ticket to getting the job of your dreams. But considering the pile of resumes that you’re competing with, you can’t just turn in a humdrum list of your past work experience. Here are some tips on creating that power resume that will stand out from the rest.
Make it easy to read
This is so basic but oh so frequently forgotten. Is the font clear and professional looking? Stay away from Comic Sans and other cutesy fonts, and as a general rule, a serif font (like Garamond) is a lot easier to read than curved sans serifs. Also avoid very small typefaces. Make 11 pts your minimum size, and use section headers and visual cues like bold type, spacing to divide the information.
Show off the results
You’d be more impressed with the phrase ‘managed a team of sales people to consistently achieve targets’ than ‘sales team leader’. If you don’t know where to start, ask yourself these questions: how did your role or job save time, increase profit, or improve operations? Also avoid any technical jargon that might not be understood outside of your industry or even your department. Remember that the resume passes through the HR department before it even gets to your future direct superior. Check out these great samples of power resumes.
Don’t just send in the resume
Can you provide samples of your work? A link to a web portfolio? Maybe you can attach testimonials from customers you’ve worked with. It’s good to provide these ‘attachments’ right away, though keep the body of your resume short and succinct. And don’t forget to include a cover letter that summarizes your accomplishments and career goals—a great way to tailor your resume to the company or the job you’re applying for.
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