How to Write a Resume That Resonates
Recent mass layoffs in the tech industry have led to industry professionals joining thousands of workers looking for their next opportunity. Our team of recruiters has decades of experience in working with consulting clients of all shapes and sizes as well as consultants across business domains. We’ve seen thousands of resumes. Here are our best practices and tips for building a resume that stands out amongst the rest.
Searching for a new position is nothing like it used to be. From applying to jobs to following up after an interview, landing your next role starts with writing a resume that has the best chance of being seen by a recruiter and resonates with a hiring manager.
Resumes That Resonate
A customized, standout resume highlighting your experience, skill set, and accomplishments tailored to the position you are interested in is key to getting noticed by the right recruiter or hiring manager. A resume that resonates has to be attuned to the particular needs and desires of the company so that you come across as a good fit for both company and position.
KEEP IT BRIEF
An effective resume is packed full of information and needs to be written and formatted intentionally in order to get you a shot at an open role. Length of your document is relative. Early career job seekers might have a single page. At Prime 8, where we focus on filling consulting roles in the tech industry with more experienced people, resumes are usually 2-3 pages.
Artificially, forcing your resume to a single page may leave out critical details. Those same critical details might get buried in an overly long document. So what’s the best practice? Take the briefest space you need to highlight for recruiters how your skills and experience align with the job they are hiring for.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
If you haven’t already done research on the company, start here. The company website may provide much of the background you need to determine if your work style and preferences align with the company. For example, consider the following areas:
Company culture. How well do you fit into the values expressed on the website and in other public-facing materials? Does the company seem like one you would be comfortable working for?
Work philosophy. Is the workplace a team environment? Does it emphasize work-life balance?
Social responsibility. Does the company support similar causes to the ones you hold dear?
Sites like Glassdoor and Indeed also offer reviews of various companies, written by current and former employees. Some of these can be sour grapes after someone is fired or laid off, but you should be able to glean some useful information from them to round out the information the company website provides, which will be a somewhat rosy view.
TAILOR YOUR RESUME
Next, you need to tailor your resume as specifically as you can to the position you want. Include keywords from the job description you are applying for in your skills list, objective, education, including certifications, awards and recognitions, and of course, experience. Your resume should include specific skills that align with the role you’re applying for, as well as any professional certifications and related software you have experience using (Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe, Sales and Reporting Programs, Coding Languages, etc.).
When you describe your prior work experience, do everything you can to highlight experience that dovetails with the job you want. Hiring managers want to know you can do the job, and your experience should clearly tell them that you can — and already have — done it.
Customizing is the game, and if you don’t do it well, someone else may get the job because you didn’t make it easy to see how your skills align with the needs of the role.
A Word About Resume Keywords.
In the modern world, artificial intelligence is helping automate and simplify many recruiting tasks. For applicants to succeed in this environment, keywords are necessary additions to resumes and online profiles.
AI is used in recruiter tools called Applicant Tracking Systems and uses keywords to shortcut the identification of potential candidates. Critically, you need to adapt your resume to use keywords and terms from the job description where applicable so AI searches find you!
ADDRESS LENGTHY GAPS IN EMPLOYMENT
Recruiters notice and want to understand why you had long gaps in employment. Be up front by adding this info to your resume. Whether taking a gap year, travel sabbatical or time off to care for family, you’re developing experience and skills that can be relevant to the right role. For example, one candidate spent a year caretaking for an elderly parent. During this time, they gained marketable skills such as negotiating with insurance companies and managing a full calendar of weekly appointments which could be essential skills needed in a new role. Adding this to your resume will show potential employers what you learned during your gap and how it’s related to the role you’re applying for.
COMMON RESUME MISTAKES
Here are some common resume mistakes to avoid in order to have the best chance of success.
Detailing irrelevant work experience.
If you were applying to be a Project Manager, it's unlikely that you'd want or need to include your work experience as a bartender on your resume unless you were doing project management within that job. Unless it creates an employment gap of more than 6 months, it’s ok to leave immaterial work experience off your resume.
Including a photo. This practice has become almost verboten for companies who want to practice diversity and inclusion. Not including a photo helps them avoid any preconceived notions about your background.
Overusing buzzwords. Some words have become meaningless because they are so overused. Calling yourself a “team player” or “hardworking” doesn’t really tell the hiring team much about your skills or experience. You are much better off showing them with specific examples that you have worked successfully with a team or describing your accomplishments born of your hard work.
Lying or exaggerating. Sooner or later, especially if you are hired, any resume embellishments will be discovered. When that happens, you risk losing the respect of your colleagues and supervisors, or even worse, being fired. Honesty isn’t just the best policy; it’s really the only policy that works.
Using weak verbs. When describing your work experience, you need to use strong action verbs like organize, innovate, implement, and spearhead. These should be the first word in each bullet point to describe specifically what you accomplished.
PROOFREADING FOR GRAMMAR AND SPELLING MISTAKES
Polish your resume. This is your first impression with the gatekeeper for a role you want. Grammatical and spelling errors are flagged and easily fixable within Microsoft Office or Google Suite. Go one step further and have someone besides yourself read your resume carefully and help correct any errors.
It isn’t that recruiters think your grammar and spelling need to be perfect, but they want to know that you will take the proper care in the new position. That starts with a flawless resume, which shows you have the ability to pay attention to detail and are willing to spend the time it takes to get a task right.
GET THE HELP YOU NEED
Submitting the best resume possible can be time consuming and difficult for many people. Sometimes you need professional help to put your best foot forward.
A good place to start is Indeed’s free Instant Resume Scan Report, which will give you actionable steps to improve your resume on your own. If you still need more help or want a professional set of eyes, you can move on from there to a professional service.
Professional resume writing services can be a good option for those who struggle to make their resumes stand out or don’t have the time to tailor a resume for each job application. Resume writing services also offer expertise in formatting, choosing the best information to include, keywords, and showcasing your skills in the best possible light.
Want to work with us? Prime 8 is always looking for talented and experienced business consultants to work on projects for clients all over the country, right from your home office. Learn more about working with Prime 8.
