Wood Words

Is Your Resume Up to Snuff – Really?

Send a cover letter – no, wait – don’t send a cover letter.

Lead off with an objective statement – scratch that – lead off with a list of accomplishments.

Integrate your résumé with your social media profiles – or on second thought – keep the two separate.

With so much résumé information available online today, it can be hard to distinguish the good advice from the bad.  In all honesty, virtually anyone with a PC and an internet connection can call himself a résumé preparation “expert” and write about it in his blog.  So when it comes to the most up-to-date résumé tips and trends, how do you know whom to believe?

Trust the recruiting specialists at Wood Personnel.  With years of experience dealing with Middle Tennessee’s best employers, our experts know what’s hot – and what’s not – when it comes to preparing a great résumé.  We’ve compiled their best advice for creating a résumé that’s modern, polished and professional.  Here’s how:

Revise your lead-off. The first few lines are crucial.  Make sure you grab the reader’s attention quickly.  Instead of leading off with a “career objective” statement, use the premium space at the top of your résumé to list accomplishments and facts that are tailored to the job posting.

Use numbers to support your claims.  Whenever possible, quantify the results (e.g., “increased sales by 25%,” “decreased customer wait times by three minutes,” etc.) you delivered or find other concrete ways to describe what you have achieved – beyond merely completing assigned job tasks.

Show your potential employer the WIIFM. Whether you call it a “summary” or “overview,” the facts and accomplishments at the top of your résumé should demonstrate how your value translates into his specific needs.  Create a compelling summary using the most relevant and impressive qualifications from throughout your career.  Write in active voice to build a power-packed, bulleted list that shows the employer “What’s In It For Me?”

Add QR codes. Today’s young professionals are networking with QR codes, as opposed to paper résumés.  A QR code is a little barcode that, when scanned by a smart phone, directs a potential employer to your online résumé, portfolio or professional website.  Get professional business cards printed with your contact information on front and a QR code on the back.  As you network, pass them out to recruiters and other contacts so they can instantly connect with you – without carrying around a sheet of paper.

Support your résumé with social media. Just as recruiters use multiple media to push job postings, you should use social media to get your résumé noticed by recruiters.  Use Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to provide career updates and make yourself more memorable as a candidate.  Just make sure that if you link your digital résumé to your online profiles, you properly manage your privacy settings to ensure employers see only appropriate content.

Use keywords. Keywords are specific words or phrases used to describe your experience.  They put your skills into focus for a recruiter and help him determine, at a glance, whether or not your skills match those needed for an available job.  To use keywords properly, first identify which ones make sense for your résumé.  Use job postings similar to your interests, or research industry trends online, to generate a list of 10 or 15 strong, descriptive and applicable keywords.  Incorporate those buzzwords into the summary, job description and/or professional qualifications sections of your résumé.

Follow this link for more tips on creating a great résumé.

Looking for Jobs in Middle Tennessee?

Wood Personnel can get you on the path to career success.  Our recruiting experts can provide valuable feedback to help you improve your résumé, hone your interviewing skills and ultimately land the job you want.  Get started today.

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