A professional resume is the key to getting your foot in the door in an industry or at a company. Such resumes detail key information about your background, education, and work experience and highlight your competencies. However, how you craft your resume also influences how the employer reading it perceives you. It’s easy to feel held back if you have a humble educational background or few work achievements to highlight, but don’t be discouraged. The truth is that just about any individual can present their background in a manner that helps them shine. For this reason, it is vital to create the perfect resume that advertises you to the business world in the best possible way. However, this is easier said than done. Numerous people struggle to craft a good resume, let alone an excellent one. The good news is that it is possible to create a professional resume that wows employers if you’re willing to put in the work. Let’s look at 5 essential tips to follow when crafting a professional resume.  

1. Use the Right Layout

Every great resume is created with a specific layout in mind. They are designed to convey everything the reader needs to know about you efficiently. This is incredibly important because employers spend only 6 to 7 seconds on average on each resume before moving on to the next one in the pile. For this reason, you should choose a layout that makes the employer’s job easier and tells them what they want to know quickly. This includes putting key information near the top of the resume, using clear headings and subheadings, and using bullet points to list information. An executive resume consultant would also recommend writing a summary or an objective statement that succinctly describes your qualifications and goals at the start of your resume.

2. Create Multiple Resumes

The idea of crafting multiple resumes might sound strange, but this resume guidance tidbit can increase your chances of getting more interviews. So why would you need to create different resumes? The answer is simple: To convey the right information to the right employer. If you have an extensive work history, listing down all the information about your past jobs will make your resume overwhelming to read. A better approach is to create a master resume that includes your entire work history and educational background and then create smaller resumes tailored for specific types of jobs. For example, you probably don’t need to include the six-month stint you did as a cookie factory taste tester on the resume you send in for an IT job. The employer at the IT company would much rather learn more about the internship you completed at a local tech startup in college, so be sure to focus on that instead.

3. Utilize Action Verbs

There are numerous ways to present the same piece of information. However, the manner in which this information is presented could either bore readers or pique their interest. One way to get employers interested and demonstrate confidence is to use action verbs when you list your duties or accomplishments. For example, a statement such as “Developed and executed a new sales strategy, resulting in a 20% boost in revenue” sounds far more exciting than “Served as a member of the sales team”.  

4. Check Out Other People’s Resumes

Another useful piece of resume writing guidance is to simply go through other people’s resumes. This could be resumes of friends, family members, or others in your professional network. It’s generally best to look up resumes of successful people in the same industry as you. This approach helps you observe the format they’ve used, the type of information they’ve included, and how they’ve worded their work history and accomplishments. If the person whose resume you’re looking up is successful, chances are they’re doing something you should be doing too. Therefore, looking at their resume is a good place to start.

5. Get Your Resume Assessed By Professionals

Once you’ve crafted your resume, consider having it assessed by professionals. Many career counselors are willing to do a quick resume review free of charge. They can look over the different sections and tell you about the changes you should make to appeal to employers in your industry. Some career counselors can also write your resume for you once you provide them with enough information about your education and work history. Hiring a resume writing consultant is a good option for people who aren’t confident about their writing skills and would like to leave the resume-creation process to experienced professionals. However, it is still vital to learn what goes into making a professional resume, as you will be relying on it throughout your career.  

Why Choose Resu Consulting?

As you can see, crafting a professional resume isn’t a quick or easy process. However, the tips described above should help you get on the right track. Your resume is your ticket to making it in the professional world, so consider spending a few days creating yours and then having it reviewed by the experienced consultants at Resu Consulting using our free resume review service. We have a large team consisting of numerous experienced consultants with an in-depth understanding of hiring practices across different industries. They can use their knowledge and expertise to help you enhance your career. Our current list of services includes career coaching, resume writing, cover letter writing, and LinkedIn profile writing. So get in touch with our team and start working toward your career goals with the perfect resume today.