Resume Tips
Let’s face it… Most people view updating their resume and job searching as a hassle, making us less inclined to put our best foot forward. Our team at BOBO Marketing Services has put together some quick tips to simplify the job search process and make sure you’re on the right track.
Tip 1: Use The Right Marketing Keywords.
Nowadays, we’ve learned that the right keywords play a critical role in marketing and branding a business. The same applies to marketing yourself. Our advice? Take a look at job postings for the positions you would like to target. What keywords do they list that match the experience you already possess?
Let’s say you’re looking for a position as a content writer. First off, go to a job search engine, like Indeed.com, and do a search for “content writer” in your area. Then take a look at what skills and responsibilities are common factors in each of the job descriptions. For a content writer, we’d expect to find phrases like “write blog posts and newsletters” as well as “edit content and proofread websites” to name a few. Be sure to use these keywords in your resume as they pertain to your experience, and you’ll be good to go. Sometimes we can get hyper focused in our job descriptions that our resumes become a big list of tasks — ultimately lacking focus on the big picture. Doing this research can help condense a job seeker’s experience while still targeting the crucial aspects to the job.
Tip 2: Ready, Set, Action!
The first tip focuses on showcasing how you already excel in completing the responsibilities of the position. Now let’s make sure you stand out from the crowd! Hiring managers are looking to employ individuals who think outside the box and can become an asset to their organization. Think about what you’ve done differently from other people in your same position and pair those accomplishments with action words. “Championed,” “boosted” and “achieved” are great verbs to drive the point home that you’re an initiator, rather than just a task completer. For instance, “I generated interest from a reputable magazine through my monthly newsletter” is specific and action-oriented. Be sure to visually highlight these actionable items on your resume as well, perhaps through bullet points, in bold or even in a dedicated Accomplishments section.
Tip 3: Stick to the Basics.
Applicant tracking systems are all the rage, which is why we generally don’t suggest getting too creative with fonts or the placement of basic job descriptors like position, company, employment dates and location. Computer scanning software might not be able to recognize this vital information, needlessly leaving you out of the running. The goal is to get a human to look at your resume, and in order to do this you have to make it past the initial scanning systems.
While we’re on the topic of order, be sure everything on your resume is in chronological order. Start with the most recent experience first and work your way back. Present and expand upon jobs that are most directly related to the position you are applying for first, and skip over the ones that aren’t. Unrelated job experiences can be included in an Additional Experience section that simply lists these unrelated positions in chronological order to account for any lapses in time. At maximum, stick to job experiences in the last 10 years. Anything more than that is overkill — unless you’re targeting an upper management position. For upper-level positions, 15 to 20 years worth of experience should be more than sufficient.