Sometimes we hear that a job seeker wants a resume that is "good enough." It doesn't need to be perfect, just good enough to get them the job. But, what is good enough? What should be included on a good resume? Let's examine these questions.
First, keep in mind that hundreds of people apply for any given job opening. A "good enough" resume has to be better than most of the competition if you want to land an interview! You don't want your resume to just match everyone else's resume. You want yours to stand out so you are the one who is called by the hiring manager.
What does Revision Resume think you need to include to make your resume stand out?
We have three suggestions for what we look for in a strong resume. First, we suggest you incorporate keywords from the job posting. This will allow you to showcase that you have the skills and qualifications the hiring manager is seeking. It will make you a clear candidate for the role. Spend a bit of time closely reading the job posting so you know what is important.
Second, we believe you need to include actions and results within your bullet points. A good resume is not just a list of your job responsibilities. Instead, it shows how you were successful in the role. Including metrics and listing what you did and how your accomplishments helped the business make a resume powerful and compelling.
Finally, we suggest you utilize action verbs to start each bullet point. These help you tell your story and demonstrate your achievements. Looking for some examples of action verbs? See the infographic below.
How do you know if your resume is "good enough?"
If you want to have your resume evaluated to determine its strength, we suggest purchasing a resume critique service. Revision Resume offers two options for resume critiques for our clients: "At-a-Glance" and "Thorough Review." In both cases, we will closely evaluate your resume and then it will be up to you to decide what changes you would like to make based on our feedback and update the document accordingly.
For an "At-a-Glance" resume critique, we'll look at your resume and then conduct a 15-minute video call where we provide suggestions for ways you could make updates. For a "Thorough Review" we embed comments within the your resume and also provide a you a summary of our critique within the document. You'll be able to clearly see our recommendations and exactly where we suggest you make changes. It will be easy for you to make edits and improve your resume, increasing your chances for an interview. Don't have time to make the updates? We offer an added service option of making them for you.
It is helpful to us if you provide an electronic version of your current resume in Microsoft Word or Google Docs format. We also appreciate you sending along any job postings you may be considering applying to and your LinkedIn profile, if you have one. These items help us provide a thorough evaluation specific to you.
Your resume critique will include analysis of:
Grammar
Formatting
Spelling
Action Verbs
Keywords
Typos
Resume Length
Dates
Correct content for current resume industry trends
Interested in a resume critique? Click here. Looking for a different career documentation service? Check out our services page here. We are happy to assist you in your journey to a new job!
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