What Does Your Resume Say About You?

Believe it or not, your resume says a lot about you as a person and possible employee. No one likes to be judged however in the job market and hiring game; it’s all about judgment. They want to know as much as possible before making the costly decision to hire you so your social media is searched, your background is checked, your references are verified and your resume is scrutinized.

The U.S. unemployment rate is 5.6% as of January 2015, that’s the first time it’s been that low in over 10 years. The U.S. economy is experiencing huge growth; spending and consumer confidence is back. People are feeling more confident in their ability to find a new job and they are looking. As a resume writer I can tell you that I am very busy this month with new clients who are seeking for new opportunities. (Thank you, I love it).

Now more than in the past, I am noticing themes with my new clients. When they tell me their stories and why they are seeking my help, I am hearing, “I need a resume that represents me and who I am…” more and more. They are absolutely right! Your resume needs to represents you, your skills, abilities and employment desires.

Of course I believe your resume should represent who you are. But what that means is, if you are a social individual then your resume should have links to your social profiles and you look for jobs that have social elements to them. If you are a young professional, then your resume should have an eye catching heading and career profile in the prime real estate section of the resume.  You should make sure your resume is streamlined and relevant as possible, which means getting rid of jobs from the 80’s, and even 90’s now.

Above all else your resume needs to be updated and visually attractive. Recruiters and hiring managers see hundreds if not thousands of resumes, they can tell a bad one in a second – no literally a second. They can tell by the heading and the font if this resume is a stinker or not.

Here are some clues.

Is your name the biggest thing on your resume? I mean font size 24 or above? And is it bolded as well? (probably not the best message to send to employers). Are you using old language? Basically, is it outdated? Are you using soft or passive words to describe what you do, for instance, “Responsible for…” or “Ensured”? Is the letter “I” on your resume? (that’s not cool). Are you using the same words over and over “Managed” or “Supervised”? You could be showing your lack of education and mastery of the English language which is bad because being an effective communicator is so important nowadays.

Like I tell many of my people, you know if your resume needs some help. So I’ll ask again, what does your resume say about you?

Join the Resume Crusade contact me ‘[email protected]’