Highlight your experience and strengths and stand out from the crowd
So you’re ready to compete for that job. All you need is an interview to show them you’re the right person. But before that can happen, you have to make a good first impression with your resume. No matter how perfectly matched you may be for a position, your first step is convincing the employer to give you a chance.
Your challenge is to grab that person’s attention in less than eight seconds. That’s right: according to research by the career site Ladders, the average time a recruiter initially spends looking at a resume is just 7.4 seconds. That probably has something to do with the volume of competition. Glassdoor research shows that each job opening attracts about 250 resumes, and four to six people will be selected to interview for a single position.
A quick online search confirms that there’s no shortage of guidance about resume writing. Here’s a breakdown to help you cut through the clutter of advice and stand out from the crowd — in just eight seconds.
Use a Simple Layout
Hiring managers appreciate clearly marked sections that help them quickly find the most relevant information. Use a format with enough white space for your section headers to stand out. But beware of a cookie-cutter approach. “It’s very common for job seekers to open Microsoft Word and use a resume template, and I advise people not to do that,” says Andrea Wieland, AISES member and career counselor at Front Range Community College in Westminster, Colo. “First of all,” she explains, “you can end up with a resume that looks like everyone else’s. Also, the templates can be difficult to customize, and if an employer is using artificial intelligence to sort through applicants, the text blocks in templates sometimes don’t scan properly.”
A clear font is essential; consider a highly readable style such as Arial or Times New Roman, between 10 and 12 points in size. You want to draw the reader’s eye down the page with clean-looking, organized blocks of information. As for length, most experts agree that one page is appropriate for newer job seekers and professionals; two pages may be in order if you’re a more experienced job seeker.
Include the Basics
Whatever format you use, be sure to cover all the basic information employers need to know:
- Opening objective or summary statement. Put this at the top. Keep it concise and tailor it as necessary to fit the job opening. Think of it as a headline, not a paragraph.
- Education. Include only relevant degrees or certifications. If you’re a programmer who’s also a certified yoga instructor or woodworker, you can skip this certification. Focus on what could make a difference performing the job advertised. Share full names of schools and major and minor fields of study.
- Work experience. The job title should be at the top of each entry, followed by dates employed, key responsibilities, and key achievements. Don’t skimp on the achievements: Employers are interested not only in what you did, but the results you achieved. It’s a good idea to place a few keywords from the job ad in this section, especially because many employers use scanning software, but keep it to a sprinkle (recruiters don’t like “keyword stuffing”).
- Contact information. Necessary contact information includes your first and last name (middle name optional), phone number (personal cell phone is better than home phone), email address, and LinkedIn URL if you have one. A mailing address is optional (especially if you’re applying from out of town), as is social media information (and only if you’ve scrubbed your profile[s]).
- Relevant skills. Briefly describe your skills that are a fit for the job. Commonly included on a resume are technical, communications, leadership and management, and analytical or critical-thinking skills. Don’t be afraid to look at other resumes to see examples of skill set descriptions. This is another good place for keywords in moderation.
- Hobbies and interests (optional). Depending on space and what you have to say, you may choose to include a brief section on hobbies and interests, such as volunteer work, travel, and artistic or athletic pursuits. This can offer a window into your personality (but don’t go overboard), and is a place for that yoga or woodworking certification.
Choose Your Words Carefully
Be selective. It’s tempting to say a lot in your resume because you want to distinguish yourself from other applicants. But remember, the goal here is to get an interview. It’s not a bad thing if you make the hiring manager a little curious — that could lead to an interview. You’re not going to be able to tell your life story in a one-page resume, and that’s okay.
Your challenge is to make every word count. “There’s no first-person ‘me’ or ‘I,’ and generally verbs are past tense. It’s a very specific way of communicating,” says Wieland. A few tips:
- Use active language and get straight to the point.
o NO: Marketing team was managed by me.
o YES: Managed marketing team.
- Include key details, yet keep your eye on the big picture.
o NO: I have worked as a consumer relations representative for more than two years. This included handling difficult accounts on a tight time frame and often successfully turning around the customer experience. I think this makes me the right fit for ABC and its brand.
o YES: Focused, reliable account representative with 2+ years’ experience in a fast-paced consumer services firm. Achieved top customer satisfaction rating based on internal review (99.58%). Seeking to advance career by growing with the ABC team.
- Don’t be overly modest. This is an advertisement about a very important person: you.
o NO: I conducted public polling for the marketing team in charge of new products.
o YES: Served as public polling lead for new product launch campaigns.
Proofread and Save
No matter how much hard work you put into your resume, a spelling error or typo could sink your chances in an instant. Double check your resume before you send it. Ask for help from a friend, relative, or teacher; a fresh set of eyes can be invaluable. Then be sure to keep a copy of the resume version you submit for each job. If you get an interview, you’ll need to know exactly what the employer was reading when they decided to meet with this impressive individual!
As senior program manager of outreach and partnerships, Alan Royal oversees outreach initiatives and partnerships for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Young Scholars Program, College Scholarship Program, and Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and an MEd in curriculum studies from Texas Christian University (TCU). Before joining the foundation, Royal was a coordinator for a college access program supported by TCU’s Office for Community Engagement, serving high school students in Fort Worth, Texas. He was also a seventh-grade language arts teacher in Longview, Texas. Here Royal shares his thoughts on what makes for a good resume, as well as tips for avoiding common resume mistakes.
In your experience, what’s the hallmark of a solid, attention-grabbing resume?
A resume contains highlights of academic and professional experience, academic credentials and honors, and other relevant special experience in a quickly readable one to two pages. The best resumes (1) are concise but comprehensive, (2) are logically organized for the needs of the reviewer, and (3) contain just a touch of visual distinctiveness to help them stand out (nothing colorful or difficult to read). I think of a resume as an extended elevator pitch on paper. It’s the first impression, so it should include a snapshot of who you are and what you’ve achieved, though its main function is to segue into an opportunity to share additional details, most likely in a cover letter and/or interview.
Are there rules for writing a resume?
Resumes can vary significantly depending on their intended purpose. Always consider what the reviewer will want to see when you are deciding what to include. For school-related resumes (with college, scholarship, summer program, or internship applications), focus more on academic and extracurricular experiences, as well as work experience that’s relevant for understanding the context of other accomplishments. (Scenario: If I were applying to a STEM-related internship, I could include that I worked at a retail store for the last two summers, but I probably wouldn’t use space to explain my job responsibilities. Instead, I would include a description of the independent study coding project I completed last semester.)
Elements to include in a resume are a heading, academic profile, honors and awards, co-curricular and extracurricular activities, volunteer and service experience, summer programs, work experience, and special interests. Aim for brief, clear descriptions of activities and experiences. Use action verbs in your descriptions to show the skills and expertise you developed during your experiences.
What common mistakes do students make when writing resumes?
They either include no description of activities and experiences or too much of it. Also, as I mentioned earlier, sometimes students include too much irrelevant information; for example, middle school highlights (do not include anything prior to high school, and if you have graduated from college, you shouldn’t need to include anything from high school) or listing several minor activities that are not useful for the reviewer. The strength of a resume is in its organization and effective use of minimal space to convey the most important facts about you.
What should students with little to no work experience list on their resume?
As a full-time student, it’s fine to not have work experience — just leave that element out of your resume until you have it. If you’ve included all the other elements but your resume still feels too short (less than one full page), consider adding more description of the activities and experiences most relevant to the position you are applying for. Don’t sell yourself short by not spending time to reflect on everything relevant you have done. Perhaps your activities or special interests section is longer because you’ve spent a lot of time outside of school investing in your passions. Figure out how to showcase the best parts of you in your resume. Don’t leave it off if you think it matters!
What advice would you give to students who are having trouble just getting started on writing their resume?
Make a list of everything you can think of that you’ve done since beginning ninth grade. Then organize the list into categories based on the elements you will include to format your resume. Also, talk to others who know you well — family, friends, counselors, and teachers/professors — who can help you remember all your activities and accomplishments. Sometimes it can be challenging to think about everything you’ve been a part of, especially when you’ve been busy doing a lot of things. Also ask a mentor to review a draft of your resume and offer feedback before you submit it.
Do you have any additional pointers?
Resumes are perpetual works in progress — as you continue to move through your academic and professional career, your resume will grow and change. Update it as often as needed with new accomplishments and experiences. It’s much easier to refine and tweak it than to start from scratch each time you need an updated version. Your resume will become more focused as you continue to move in a particular direction career-wise, so don’t be afraid to remove things that become irrelevant. Good luck!
