It’s the document that can make it or break it for applicants in the job market. Often, it’s the first point of contact with employers, and for many, it’s the last.
Résumés.
“A lot of times, there’s a misconception that résumés are the key to getting a job, but it’s actually what you need to get an interview,” Smith Career Center (SCC) Assistant Director Joe Battelline said. “It’s that quintessential point where you have to prove yourself to even get your foot in the door.”
Check out the following tips for ways to enhance your résumé.
Tailor to the position
According to Career Peer Advisor Hayley Feichter, aligning your résumé with the position’s requests will provide the employer with evidence that you are a qualified applicant and worth an interview.
“Students can tailor their résumés to match the specific job position by reading through the job description and looking for those key skills the company is looking for and making sure you have those on your résumé very clearly,” Feichter, a junior public relations major, said. “A good way to do this is under a section called ‘related experience,’ so it’s very clear that anything in that section is very relatable to the specific job.”
Tailoring your résumé can not only match keywords from the job description but also give insight into how you would fit into the company.
“As someone is reading [your résumé], you want them to think that your experiences make you a perfect fit for this job,” SCC Associate Director Molly Drenckpohl said.
Present information accurately
Although it may be tempting to exaggerate your qualifications, misrepresenting your experience levels can harm you in the long run.
“It’s extremely important to be honest on résumés because if you exaggerate and lie about past experiences or even how proficient you are in a language or skill, when employers ask you about that or tell you to elaborate or prove yourself, then you end up looking awful continuing a lie that you will most likely get caught in and therefore jeopardize any chance you had at the job,” Feichter said. “Students can avoid excessive exaggerations by taking time to really evaluate themselves.”
This does not mean, however, that you cannot highlight your achievements.
“The best way for students to present their accomplishments is in a factual way,” Feichter said. “It’s not bragging or lying if you’re telling truthful facts; it’s informing the employer about why you’re qualified for this position.”
To better engage potential employers, use action verbs in your descriptions of various qualifications. Vary the words you use, and be specific when describing tasks.
According to Battelline, employers want to see results.
“Whether that’s quantifiable information such as percentages or you’ve increased ‘x’ thing by this amount, providing those tangible results can really help convey concrete evidence of what you’ve done,” Battelline said.
Most importantly, highlight any unique experiences that differentiate you from other applicants.
Format for quick and easy review
“Unfortunately, there’s no one format for all [résumés],” SCC Director of Career Development Rick Smith said. “Each field has their own needs and requirements that they use, and various aspects need to be emphasized.”
Despite this, résumés will typically have variations of six main sections: objective, education, experience, skills, activities and honors and awards.
To present these sections in a logical, easy-to-read format, use similar headings for each section, and format similar information such as dates and locations consistently throughout your résumé.
“If I’m reviewing someone’s résumé, I spend 20 seconds on my first look, and I figure out in that 20 seconds, ‘What did I learn about you?’” Drenckpohl said. “At that first glance, whatever is bold or highlighted or toward the top that your eyes are drawn to, that’s what’s going to pull an employer in to keep them reading.”
Aspects that may slow down employers while reviewing résumés are misspellings and grammatical errors. Additionally, these mistakes reveal inattention to detail rather than a showcase of your abilities.
Overall, the goal of a résumé is to propel job applicants to the next step in the job search process, which is securing an interview. By building a strong résumé, students may convince potential employers that they are qualified to fill open positions and worth an interview.
Résumé Help
provided by Smith Career Center
• Overnight Review Service: Drop off your résumé to be reviewed and ready for pick up by 4 p.m. the next day.
• Career Advisors: Schedule a one-on-one meeting with an advisor specific to your college and degree program.
• Career Peer Advisors: Get a quick résumé review during walk-in hours from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday in Burgess Hall.
• Feedback Friday: Have employers review your résumé and suggest improvements
Call the SCC at (309) 677-2510 or visit www.bradley.edu/scc for more information.
