What makes a great resume?

 

Good resumes don't get candidates jobs, but they do get candidates invitations to interview for jobs. A good resume has just enough information about the applicant's qualifications to pique the recruiter's or hiring manager's curiosity, yet not so much that the recruiter or hiring manager learns everything he needs to know without the benefit of an interview. Good resumes have format, structure and content characteristics that lesser resumes lack.

 

Look

 

Resumes should be in a clean, easy-to-read format with sections appropriately labeled. Most importantly, a resume should be perfect. It should be free of typographical errors and centered on the page so that it doesn't look cluttered. Resumes that are visually appealing reflect the applicant's diligence in creating a document with the reader in mind.

 

Summary

 

Instead of including an objective at the beginning of a resume, they should have a brief profile summary that's geared toward what the employer needs. An objective is a candidate-focused statement that won't capture the reader's attention. A profile summary, on the other hand, is a succinct statement that tells the reader who the candidate is and what they have to offer.

 

Grammar

 

Fragmented sentences are used when describing work history. In fact, resumes that contain full, grammatically correct sentences can be too wordy and narrative.  The use of action verbs to begin each fragment is recommended, like,  "Monitored weekly sales reports to determine impact of marketing campaigns".  Great resumes have short descriptions about the applicant's work history that use a variety of action verbs.

 

Verbiage

 

Resumes shouldn't contain so much technical language that a lay reader gets lost. Anyone reading the resume should be able to understand. Writing plainly is the key, yet not so plainly that the resume doesn't pique the reader's interest. Even seasoned recruiters may not be experts in every line of work.

 

Flow

 

Resumes should follow a format that flows seamlessly from  the introduction to areas of expertise to work history to education and professional affiliations. The determination of the order in which education and work history are listed is based on career level of the applicant. Recent graduates or new entrants to the workforce should list education and academic qualifications above work history. For seasoned workers with more than 15 or so years of experience, a good format is one that showcases the applicant's professional competencies, instead of a lengthy work history that might bore readers.

 

 

PROFESSIONAL RESUME WRITER/OWNER

 

Paul Harthan has just under 30 years’ experience as a manager or executive in the areas of

Human Resources, Sales, Manufacturing, Corporate Safety and Food Service Management.  

He has reviewed many resumes and conducted several thousand interviews over the years.  

He has ample practical knowledge of what hiring managers and organizations look for while

reviewing resumes. 

 

When you combine all this with his Business Communication Degree, He has a unique wealth of knowledge from which to pull in the area of the hiring process.  He knows what hiring managers are looking for!

 

He is a member of The National Resume Writers’ Association.   Through this organization he stays on top of the latest developments and trends.