Résumé tips that will get you in the door

By Bob Menzies, CA, CHRP, Director, Human Capital, Lannick Group

Here at Lannick Recruitment and Pro Count Staffing we receive thousands of résumés throughout the course of a year. It is always surprising that candidates do not present the best résumé possible when competing in today’s very competitive marketplace. The glaring truth is that employers will not consider a résumé that does not fit their expectations of what a résumé should look like. In the job-hunting process, there are many things that you cannot control but the résumé is not one of them.

Here are some ideas based on what we see day in and day out:

• Use chronological not functional formats - employers want to see your most recent experience right up front, followed by the previous positions.

• Don’t be too lengthy – under three pages, preferably two. People are harried and pressed for time; they don’t want to read long documents. Make sure you put the most important parts first.

• Be specific - describe what you have done and what you achieved.

• Be specific about your role – use action words like “led” and “monitored” and “performed”.

• Spelling and grammar should be correct and consistent - read very carefully for type-os. Employers presume either you do not care or do not know how to spell.

• Format should be consistent - if you bold and underline your previous employers, then do the same for all previous employers; and use the same font throughout.

• Keep the format simple – the simpler the better: don’t use fancy graphics and fonts. It should look crisp and professional.

• Use the past tense and be consistent - making it easier for the reader to follow.

• Tailor your resume - create a profile for yourself and tailor it to each position.

• Have someone proofread your résumé - it’s easy to miss an obvious error when you do your own review and the downside is that many hiring authorities have discounted an otherwise capable candidate because of a résumé type-o.

Have a look at the sample résumé we have created for our candidates, which may help you.

Always remember that your résumé is your introduction, therefore it is really the first impression a prospective employer has of you. Your résumé can take on a life of its own as it is passed from one person to another in an organization and it will become part of your Human Resources file once you are hired. Make it the best it can possibly be!

print pdf