Resume
A quality resume is an investment in your career. Having a polished, clear, concise resume that demonstrates you have the desired skills is necessary to obtain an interview. A well-worded resume grabs the attention of the hiring manager and elevates you as a candidate to interview.
Resume Writing is Difficult!
No one will argue this. And, there are a variety of reasons that resume writing is hard:
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Writing isn't a skill that everyone excels at.
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People commonly find it hard to "toot their own horn."
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A resume requires a very rigid format. Figuring out the format requirements and ensuring your resume is created appropriately is challenging.
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Due to the formatting issues, people often turn to templates, which wind up causing additional headaches. Invariably, your specific situation doesn't fit in the confines of the template.
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Proofreading is also a skill that many people struggle with, yet submitting a resume with errors is sure to result in it being discarded.
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Determining which content to include -- and what is irrelevant -- is often difficult, as job-seekers tend to feel the need to include their entire history.
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Getting the resume to fit into the right number of pages is often a challenge. Can it be 2 pages? What if it ends up being one and a half?
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Writing the bullets that show what your roles were at previous jobs is more difficult because you can't use the words "I" or "My."
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How can you get your resume past an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) if you don't know what an ATS is?
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Resumes require details, not just general statements. Often job-seekers find it difficult to come up with action verbs and specific numbers.
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Resumes should be unique for each job you apply for. It is necessary to select the appropriate wording so that the resume demonstrates how you match that particular opening. This is overwhelming for someone who struggles to write even 1 resume.
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Resume guidelines change over time. A few years ago, infographic resumes were popular. Now they aren't. If you aren't regularly writing a resume, it can be hard to know what is expected.
Resume Writing is Hard! Leave it to the Professionals so You Can Submit a Well-Written Resume You are Proud of.
To earn the interview, you must provide an error-free resume utilizing the best resume format. Avoiding mistakes like grammatical errors may be obvious, but many job seekers don't realize they are not following current resume standards. Others don't know they need to optimize their resume to get past the ATS. These mistakes may result in a resume being discarded before the job-seeker is called in for an interview.
To avoid having issues with your resume that prevent you from moving on in the job application process, contact us at Revision Resume. We pride ourselves on providing you with a professionally written, edited and formatted resume. Let us do the hard work of creating you a resume you can submit with confidence!
It used to be that all resumes were expected to be 1 page long. People would cram all of their information into the 1 page restriction.
Over the years, this has changed, and now hiring managers don't expect a one page resume. Instead, they are looking for informative details about each post you've occupied. This will lead to resumes of varying lengths, depending on your years of experience. Let's look at specific examples:
New College or High School Graduate
A recent graduate likely does not have enough experience for a multiple page resume. Therefore a 1 page resume is excepted.
Some college grads attempt to increase the length by including high school information. Revision Resume advises against this, however. Hiring managers are not interested in your high school experiences once you have obtained your college degree. Focus on your college successes and any relevant experience you have.
Resume Length for an Experienced Worker
Two pages is ideal for a job-seeker with experience. This will allow the space needed to list previous roles along with details about each one. Include keywords, action verbs, and specific numbers. Many people submit resumes that just provide a historical list of the jobs held, where they were and the dates. But a more compelling resume includes skills and accomplishments for each position.
On the other hand, don't try to bulk up your resume with irrelevant or outdated information. Only go back 10-15 years, and avoid including information that doesn't pertain to the position you are applying for.
Resume Length for an Executive
Resumes for someone applying for an executive level position can be 2-3 pages. As with the resumes for new graduates and experienced workers, avoid including irrelevant information. Relevant publications and patents may extend the length of your resume beyond 3 pages.
What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
An Applicant Tracking System is a computer program that reads your resume. Some companies use it as a "filing cabinet" to organize the hundreds of resumes they receive for each job opening. Other companies use algorithms within the computer program to help evaluate potential candidates. The ATS can sort the resumes based on keywords to determine which candidates are the best match for the opening. Since you, as the job-seeker, don't know how the ATS of any particular company is being used, you have to assume the worst-case scenario: that it may be used to weed out resumes that aren't good matches for the job. This makes it critical for you to optimize your resume for the ATS, or a human being may never see your unique qualifications.
How Do I Optimize My Resume for the ATS?
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Look closely at the job posting and identify keywords the ATS might be searching for. These may be used to sort through any resumes submitted.
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Edit your existing resume to incorporate as many keywords as you can within the wording of your achievements and skills. Remember to always be honest. Only make edits that accurately reflect your education and experience.
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Since the slash symbol (/) may be read as a URL by the ATS, use the pipe symbol (|) instead.
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Don't have any information in the header or footer. The ATS may not recognize content that is outside of the body of the document.
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Don't use templates, tables or fancy bullets as they may be overlooked by the ATS.
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Don't try to cut corners to beat the ATS. Your efforts will fail in the long run, and you will lose your chance for the job.
Remember to Create Your Resume for the ATS and a Human!
After your resume gets past the ATS, it will land on the desk of a human! Whether it be a recruiter, hiring manager, or human resources employee, someone will be reading your resume. Therefore, you need to make sure the document you submit is worthy of both the ATS and human eyes.
Use bullets, indentation, and bolding to make the resume easy to skim. Follow resume formatting standards. And most importantly, triple-check for mistakes to ensure your resume is error-free!
What is the Hiring Manager Looking for on My Resume?
Hiring managers want to see a resume that is error-free and demonstrates that you are a good match for the job opening. Our blog "How to Write a Professional Resume" highlights the following:
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Use correct section headings (Key Skills, Work History, Education)
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Provide a cleanly formatted final document
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Incorporate appropriate grammar
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Keep it relevant
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Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!
Hiring managers have told us that they find it frustrating when they receive a resume that follows outdated resume guidelines, is not easy to skim, obviously needs revision, and appears to be generic for use applying to numerous job openings. They want job applicants to put in the effort that demonstrates they are really interested in obtaining the specific position they are applying for.
Revision Resume suggests the following five tips to revise your resume for the details:
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Triple check contact information for typos
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Double check all dates for errors
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Evaluate font and spacing
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Re-think relevancy, especially if hobbies are included
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Verify grammar, spelling, and vocabulary are all correct
If you struggle with proofreading, we suggest the following ways to notice errors on your resume:
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Review it after printing it out
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Read it out loud
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Have someone else review it
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Take a break and then re-look at it later
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Hire Revision Resume for a resume critique
Revision Resume has written numerous other blogs providing tips for resume best practices. To read them click here.
Revision Resume's Tips for What to Omit From Your Resume
Here are the top ten things to leave off your resume!
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Personal Information. You shouldn't include things like your marital status, number of kids, or your age on your resume.
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Photograph. It is not acceptable to include a photo of yourself on a resume in the United States. Some companies automatically reject all resumes with photos so they can't be accused of being discriminatory based on appearance.
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Political Affiliations. Hiring managers do not need to know your political or religious affiliations.
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Objective Statement. This is an outdated resume section, which shows you are not aware of current resume guidelines. Beyond that, keep in mind that your resume should not showcase what your job desires are. The company has a position to fill and wants to determine if you have the right qualifications for the role, so focus on showing them how you are a perfect fit for their needs.
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References. Again, it is outdated to include references or the phrase "references available upon request" on your resume. It is also a waste of valuable space. Should a company want a list of references, they will ask.
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Irrelevant Information / Hobbies. Only include information that is relevant to the role you are applying to. The hiring manager does not have time to wade through information that doesn't match the job they are trying to fill.
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Your Entire History. Again, you want to focus on relevant details. You do not need to include your entire life history on your resume. Consider going back in time 10-15 years.
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Failures. Focus on the accomplishments to get your foot in the door for the interview. You will be able to explain any failures during the actual interview itself.
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Low GPA. You are not obligated to include your GPA on your resume. If it is below 3.0, consider leaving it off.
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Lies. Dishonesty will be caught through a background check or during the interview. Always be truthful on your resume!
What do Revision Resume's Resume Writing Services Provide?
Revision Resume will provide you a professionally written, error-free resume that you can submit with confidence. It will be carefully crafted to showcase your unique relevant job experience and skills. The resume we create will match the job opportunity you are seeking with keywords intentionally embedded to help the Applicant Tracking System identify your resume amongst all of the other applications. The document will be crisp, concise and professionally formatted. It will be free from typographical errors. You will be provided PDF, Word and text-only versions. To learn more details about our process read our blog titled "What Do Resume Writing Services Provide?"
To request Revision Resume create your resume, email us at info@revisionresume.com. Alternatively, you can fill out our "Request a Quote" form.
If you already have a resume written but are not feeling confident it is professional and error-free, we offer a resume critique service. Click here to learn more.
Customer Testimonials:
"Wow! You have made me sound amazing! This resume would definitely get me called in for an interview. You took my skeleton of a resume and made it much more professional, marketable, and visually appealing. Thank you!"
"Revision Resume is the best! They took the time to get to know me, and my achievements and turned that into an extraordinary resume"
"Revision Resume is impressive! I did not know there was a science behind constructing your resume and targeting vacancies so specifically. I am glad I contacted them."
"The finished product was better than anything I could have imagined, and I sincerely believe I will receive more callbacks and interviews because of it. My resume expert did a terrific job on organizing, analyzing and presenting my resume in a more coherent and detailed order. They worked with me on a personal level to ensure they had the details and information needed about my desired career path to create a perfect resume and cover letter. It is a resume that I am proud of, and it better expresses both my individual, educational and career points."
"Fantastic! Revision Resume was not only thorough and accurate – they have the skills and knowledge to get your resume in front of hiring managers. I did not realize qualified candidates can be screened out by automated processes before ever making it to human eyes. I had always thought the proof was in the pudding, but it turns out how you make the pudding (certain words, phrases) is just as important. I recommend Revision Resume to navigate these pitfalls and get your information in front of hiring managers. Not only that, but they will make you sound great as well – focusing on positive and relevant aspects for the position you are seeking!"
