If you’re looking for a new job, a change in your career path or if you just got out of school, one of the first things you need to do is create or update your resume. We know it can be challenging, overwhelming, and you probably have a thousand questions:

But don’t worry, we have got you covered.

We’ll give you 10 tips to write a good resume so it can stand out from the crowd. Research says you have 10-20 seconds to impress a hiring manager, make them count!

CONTENT

1. Create a professional email address

First impressions matter, so if you created an email back in high school like $trongman@xxx.com you should consider changing it to something more professional. You’re applying to a professional job (whatever field you’re in) and that’s why you need a professional email address.

Our recommendation is doing firstname.lastname  followed by the domain of your preference.  The use of an unprofessional email address will get a resume rejected 76% of the time. Bonus tip: If your name is longer or often misspelled by others, try opting for firstinitial.lastname followed by the domain of your preference instead.

2. Typos

Always proofread your resume for typos, it says a lot about your personality. Typos tell a hiring manager that you’re not detail-oriented or that you don’t care about your work or the job. Don’t settle for just the grammar check tool, take it one step further and ask a friend -or two- to read it, maybe they won’t find a typo but they can give you additional insights from a different perspective.

3. Reverse-chronological order

The best way to create your resume is starting from your most recent job and then work backwards. This way, the hiring manager can see your most recent job first. Reverse-chronological order shows that you are able to demonstrate a certain level of organization and structure. Hiring managers are a fan of these soft-skills

FORMATTING

 4. What the font?

Our designer got together with a few MAU hiring managers and has provided recommendations about which fonts you should use to help your resume stand out. The results are in and the winner are: Helvetica, Calibri, Arial, Cambria, Garamond. There’s a simple explanation behind using these fonts on your resume:

1. The hiring manager can scan them quickly.
2. They are easy to read.
3. They are mobile-friendly.

If you want to know which fonts are the worst ones to use, you can find out at, What the Font?! Best and Worst Fonts to Use in Your Resume.

5. Keep it to a page

We’re sure you have a lot to tell about your experience and all you have to offer, however when it comes to a resume, less is more, the interview will give you the opportunity to expound upon your personal experiences and accomplishments. Remember when we told you hiring managers scan your resume in 10-20 seconds? If you keep it to a page, you can have the opportunity to show relevant and straight to the point information all while holding the hiring manager’s attention.

EXPERIENCE

 6. Use bullet points

The easiest way to keep everything to a page is by using bullet points, this way you can be very concise and straight to the point about your job description and accomplishments. Another good tip – we’ll call it 6.1- is to use synonyms, when describing your work history, don’t write “Responsible for” over and over again, the hiring manager will get bored very quickly.

7. Give numbers

Use numbers to help paint the picture of your prior experience. By what percentage did you exceed the goal? Did your tactic help improve the company sales? How was monthly turnover reduced under your management? By doing this, you show the hiring manager the level of responsibility and commitment to your job and that you are a results-driven individual.

8. Use keywords

Our Business to Business Marketing Manager has a great way to explain the use of keywords:

“One method to avoid getting lost in the masses of resumes is by crafting a keyword driven resume. Many staffing companies and recruiters’ hiring processes begin by examining the span of received resumes utilizing keyword searches run through computer software. If you use keywords, chances are the recruiter will find you faster”

One way to use keywords is by reading the job description and matching the skills with your resume. Our Business to Business Manager has great insights about the use of keywords in your resume. Click the link to learn how to Create a Resume that Says “Hire Me!” Using Keywords.

WE’RE NOT DONE YET

9. Save it as PDF

When saving your resume make sure you do it as a PDF file rather than Word Document (.doc), we don’t know what kind of computer -or phone- the hiring manager has, so by saving it as PDF you can ensure the formatting is correct. You can never be too careful, send a test email. Send the resume to yourself -or even a friend- and make sure the resume opens correctly and is properly formatted.

10. Name your Resume correctly

Always save your resume as Jane Doe Resume (First Name, Last Name) Remember a hiring manager receives hundreds of resume a day, so make sure yours won’t get lost in the crowd. Besides, it’s one less step the hiring manager has to do and they’ll be grateful for that.

Now that you have all the tools, it’s time for you to apply them! These 10 easy tips will help your Resume stand out from the crowd. Remember, your resume is your way to advertise yourself and first impressions matter! Make sure you’re selling the best version of yourself. 

Let us help you get started. Download 5 free resume templates for your resume by clicking the button below!

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