A
step-by-step guide to the world's best resume
By Dixe
Schillaci, Yale University 1:00 pm EDT July 9, 2016
Like most people new to the job
market, you probably obsess about your resume. It’s up against some stiff
competition — and not just other people’s GPAs and former jobs.
Resumes are growing bolder and old
rules are quickly fading. Think resumes that mimic Snapchat Stories, Pinterest boards, film posters — even resumes you can fold into cubes. We get it if you have resume
envy.
Wanting to amp things up is
understandable. Corporate jobs, on average, get some 250 resumes, but
only 4 to 6 people are called in to talk, according to a 2015 survey from Glassdoor, so many
people want to stand out. And wanting yours to be interactive — or
thinking that it has to be — makes sense given the all-encompassing
digital universe. But if you’re not going into a creative field, a clickable
maze of a resume can actually turn off potential employers.
“(Millennials) are designing resumes
in response to their own experiences,” says Louise Kursmark, author of Modernize Your Resume: Get Noticed … Get Hired.
“But the resume is still a fairly traditional document.”
In fact, “sending an infographic
resume (can) be seen as frivolous,” says Gayle Howard, author ofPS … You Need a Resume.
Here’s another reason: time is not
on your side. If you suspect that your resume is being skimmed and not read,
you’d pretty much be right. On average, recruiters spend only about six seconds
looking at a resume, according to a study by The Ladders.
Experts say this gives you little time to get your points across.
“There’s this push that technology
means a more engaging resume, but the problem is the person looking at a resume
is maybe spending five to 10 seconds on it,” says Barbara Safani, an executive
resume writer and the president of Career Solvers, a career consultancy.
“Glancing” at materials has become
commonplace, agrees Kursmark.
“You want it to be short and easy to
review. If hiring you is a task, I have 100 other applications that are
not a task. Why waste my time?” says Wendy Enelow, author of over 25 books
about resume writing.
Companies have to abide by fair
hiring laws, including the record keeping of applicants
and resumes for one year in case a discrimination lawsuit, say, is brought against
the company, per the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This sorting and
organizing process is now done by machines, which typically only know how to
read text documents. Thus, when someone submits something other than a
traditional resume, companies have to go through hoops to get it in the system.
OK, so the challenge is how to make
your resume stand out without turning people off. Our experts have some
excellent ideas.
1. PLEASE, PLEASE USE A DIFFERENT FONT
Maybe don’t break out the Comic
Sans, but you can ditch the Times New Roman.
“If I look at 100 resumes, 90 of
them will be in Times New Roman, and it causes me to hyperventilate,” says
Enelow. She says go modern, like Calibri or Cambria. (Note: Save as a PDF. And
don’t call the file “resume.pdf” – use your name in the file name.)
“Use a modern font you would see on
website. We’re accustomed to see it on a Web page, and on paper it will look
fresh,” says Kursmark.
2. MAKE A SPLASH WITH COLOR
We’re not talking neon, but color
used sparingly can give a resume just the right pop.
“I want a little bit of color and a
little bit of design and style on a resume,” Enelow says. “Most people
look at a resume online, so they are going to pull up a Word file and will be
able to see a logo and color.”
3. BOLD DESIGNS HAVE THEIR PLACE
There are things you can do to knock
it up a few notches, like not always aligning all the text flush left, using
colored lines to separate sections and adding a border. They’ll all catch the
eye and help direct someone through the various sections.
Separating your resume into engaging
sections can help as well.
4. LINK, LINK, LINK
Everyone likes a good link. Plus, a
pointed link can help your brand.
“Strut your stuff,” says Susan
Vitale, chief marketing officer at iCIMS, a provider of
talent acquisition software. “A well-connected applicant should include a link
to his or her LinkedIn profile and any relevant blogs, social pages, or
publications as part of contact information.”
“For every job seeker, Millennial
and otherwise, I would like to see live links on a resume that link to an email
or personal website,” reaffirms Enelow. “LinkedIn is also a must.”
“It’s kind of like dating,” Kursmark
adds. “You’re first attracted to their looks, and then you go deeper to
determine if you’re a match.”
5. GO TEAM!
Employers like people who play well
with others, and it helps to show them that you can. This can also help raise
your profile.
“Put it in the perspective that you
were part of team that helped a company do bigger things,” says Safani.
And while this may seem
counterintuitive, she also suggests talking about classroom experiences,
especially if you’re a recent grad with little work experience.
“A lot of students just say where
they went to school, their GPA and what fraternity they were in,” Safani says.
“Show relevant coursework and projects that you did that simulated something
you would do in a work environment.”
6. USE KEYWORDS TO GAME THE SYSTEM (DID WE JUST SAY
THAT?)
Technology is playing a growing role
in the screening process and applicants should adapt. Many companies use
applicant tracking systems, for example, that filter resumes via desired
keywords or key phrases before moving someone, or not, on to the next level.
“The good news is that there are
simple ways to optimize your application just by being aware of the
resume-parsing technology basics,” says Vitale. “Include keywords relevant to
your experience and do not overgeneralize, as that can be glossed over, both by
the ATS — which is looking for words relevant to the job posting – and the
hiring manager.”
She suggests, “Do what you can to
‘pack a punch’ in the summary section with tangible, specific information,
whether that be tied to results, accomplishments or something else that speaks
to your experience.”
Vitale also suggests that you use
specific and accurate metrics when possible. “A resume-parsing ATS might
bring those metrics directly to a hiring manager’s attention, giving you a huge
advantage,” she says.
But don’t just copy and paste the
job description onto your resume or cover letter.
“The biggest mistake people make is
that they make their resumes look more like job descriptions,” Safani says.
“Then nothing stands out, differentiates them or shows what value they bring to
the job.”
And people, the machines are
watching. The robots know when you’re stuffing your resume just to stuff it.
7. IF YOU’RE A CREATIVE, BE CREATIVE
OK, so you’re in a creative
industry, and you want to show off your skills. The good news is an unusually
designed or interactive resume could be the move for you.
“For 99% of job seekers … leave
creativity to Crayola, (but the) exceptions (are) for someone seeking a
‘creative position.’ Think designer within marketing or another field where
cutting edge is a necessity,” says Michelle Kruse, product manager at Nelnet,
an education services company with a resume-focused subsidiary, ResumeEdge.
“If we’re seeking a candidate for a
specifically creative role, sure, it’s interesting to see if there’s a unique
take on the resume presentation,” says Todd Shallbetter, chief operating
officer at Atari. “The ultimate key is whether or not the creative take is
appealing to the stakeholders on our side. A style that is not agreeable
to some can lead to a very quick judgment overall.”
Some existing interactive resumes
are so well done they’ve become go-to examples. Robby Leonardi, a graphic designer, created
a video-game resume that was nominated for a Webby in 2014 and is still
getting buzz.
An-Ni Wang, a front-end developer at
Phenomenon, a marketing firm in Los Angeles, also created an interactive resume
worth looking at; potential employers can scroll through a “day in the life” of
Wang and see her design experience.
“Try and make a connection between
you and your potential employers,” Wang advises creative types.
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