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What is the easiest resume writing format in 2021?
by Maggi Johnson
Posted: Jul 16, 2021
Posted: Jul 16, 2021
You've probably just been through a handful of resume writing processes in your life, regardless of how skilled you are or how good at your work you are. That implies you may not be up to date on current trends or candidate screening tools.
Here are a few current (and timeless) tips for writing resumes:
- Focus – Know what you're aiming for and go right at it. You would never shut your eyes and shot aimlessly at a firing range hoping to hit a bullseye, so why would you do the same in your job hunt? Replace the cliched, wordy summary at the top of your old resume with a tailored tag line or objective statement. “CPA Candidate seeking an Entry Level/Internship Position in Tax,” for example. Now, everything on your resume should be oriented toward that target.
- Keywords! Know them, use them, love them – If you've determined the desired title, go to your favourite job board and look for those vacancies. If you want to work in human resources, for example, read at least 20 job listings and make a list of phrases and keywords that appear often. Communication, interpersonal skills, teamwork, employee relations, and HRIS or HRMS (Human Resource Information System/Management Systems) are all possibilities. If the words appear often in the resume, they should be included. These keywords are important for getting you through the Applicant Tracking System, which would be the first challenge.
- Understand Applicant Tracking Systems – The primary goal of an applicant tracking system (ATS) is to screen resumes for candidates that fit the hiring manager's keywords. Unfortunately, locating and employing keywords is just half the battle. Any ATS software won't be able to read all of your great skills if the formatting is too complicated. It's impossible to predict what would work reliably because there are over 220 different programmes available, but we do know a few tricks. Insert no graphics, images, text boxes, columns, or headers/footers, and quit using fancy fonts and bullets. Save your artistic resume for job fairs and apply for positions online with the simpler ATS friendly resume.
- Looks Matter – Congratulations on going over the first hurdle of getting a person to look at your resume. You have only five seconds to get their attention now. They'll pass if they don't see important information (dates, education, relevant skills), or if it's difficult to read, cluttered, or just plain ugly. Make sure the material is succinct and has beneficial results (use dollars, numbers, and percentages whenever possible). Keep it brief and simple. Bullets are simpler to read than paragraphs. Since only a limited number of people read resumes, consider scan-ability.
- Proof read for perfection – You've already read it before, so it's worth repeating. You won't get far if you convince an employer you're "information driven" but your resume is riddled with inconsistencies and mistakes. It's easy to skip the finer points when you spend a lot of time on the content (which you should). Inconsistencies in date types, intervals at the end of bullet points (use them or don't, just stay with it), verb tense (past tense for old work, present tense for new jobs), fonts, numbers (spell out numbers under ten, use numerals for numbers ten and up), and text spacing are also popular mistakes.
Need more insights on the same? Get in touch with a resume builder.
Working along with professional resume Resume Writing services can help you optimize your resume according to the job industry you are applying for. They know what the hiring manager seeks in a resume – and can highlight your profile in the same way.