Crafting a Killer Resume

Resumes can be scary, and for good reason. The idea that you can condense your life into one page of text is really absurd, if you think about it. You have to constantly fight the conflicting urges to explain too much and to not explain enough. Then, there’s the added pressure of making your resume stand out, but in a way that’s still professional. All in all, crafting a resume can be stressful, and it should be, since your resume is very important.

At the same time, there’s one helpful tip that will simplify the resume-writing process. Keep in mind, at all times, that the goal of your resume is nothing more and nothing less than to get an interview. You aren’t trying to write Shakespeare here, but at the same time you aren’t writing a Facebook message to one of your buddies. Be professional and work hard, but keep it in perspective. No matter what font you choose, you can’t truly communicate yourself on a resume. That’s what the interview is for.

With that in mind, let’s examine a few tactics you can use to create a resume that will get you an interview. First of all, and most importantly, your resume has to stand out. Resumes that do not stand out, most of the time, do not even get read. The people who are looking through resumes to find potential interviewees have to scan through hundreds at a time–they’re going to spend, at most, fifteen seconds looking at your resume unless they have a reason to spend longer.

A good way to stand out is by organizing your resume well. An effectively organized resume is easy on the eyes, and it communicates that the person who made the resume is effective and organized as well. There are many different ways to organize your resume, and you should choose which one is the best for you. If your work history is your most outstanding attribute, put it somewhere where it will stand out. Don’t bury your best stuff in the middle of your resume–studies show that people remember the middle of a list worse than the beginning or the end.

Another important aspect of the resume that is often overlooked is white space. Have some white space so that your reader’s eyes can rest. Don’t clutter your resume with mounds of unnecessary or cramped text that make your reader want to turn away. There’s a balance, of course–-too much white space means not enough content.

Overall, you should strive for efficiency in your resume. Use action verbs. Group similar experiences together. Explain why your experiences make you a good candidate for the job. And don’t forget to include something that will make you stand out. The key to getting an interview is being remembered. If you can do that, then you are well on your way to getting that great job!

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This article was written by Michael Lawson and the CollegeStockPicks.com staff.