Accountant and Bookkeeper Articles

5 Ways to Ensure Your Resume Makes the Proper Impression

You’ve probably heard a lot of tips about creating the perfect resume, but have you read about the most common mistakes? There are some things you can do that will ensure that your resume won’t go in the slush pile. And here are five:

1. Avoid long-winded prose
Some may believe that wordy text, especially written in first-person, will sound friendlier and more appealing than the sterile appearance of bulleted lists. The truth is, when potential employers are looking over your resume they want facts, not frill. They expect to experience your personality in the job interview not on your resume. The easier it is to find crucial information, the better. Bulleted lists enable potential employers to quickly scan resumes and find what they’re looking for.

2. Make sure your educational information is clear
While it’s important to make your resume as concise as possible, there is such a thing as over-abbreviating your educational information. Remember to include the school, city and state, and the time you attended. If you did not receive a degree, clarify how many credits you earned and in what area of focus. There’s also a rash of falsified-resumes going around; ensure that every detail you include on your resume is true and complete. Not doing so can cause you (and your employer) a lot of difficulty in the end.

3. Focus on accomplishments
Many resumes are duty-oriented rather than accomplishment-oriented. The truth is potential employers are more interested in what you have accomplishment than completed tasks. As you review your employment and educational history consider what you have accomplished and make a point to include those things on your resume.

4. Avoid overused resume templates
While you may think the resume template you’ve chosen is innovative and eye-catching, remember that potential employers see a lot more resumes than you do. Even if you choose a template you should change it up a little and make it your own.

5. Include key words
Remember that a resume is your opportunity to market yourself and your skills. The potential employer is your audience. Look at the job posting as you craft your resume and include key words they used to publicize the opening. As you use those key words to highlight your skills and abilities they will appreciate both your attention to their needs and the manner in which you showcase your employability. Not to mention, you will appear well-suited for the job.

Your resume is the first look many potential employers will get of you and your skills. You don’t want to eliminate yourself by making simple mistakes that have become fairly common. In attending to the five details above, you could get your resume the attention it deserves.