5 Ways to Step Up Your Resume Game
A resume is often the first impression that a potential employer will have of you, so it’s important that it makes a strong one.
Here are five tips for creating a killer resume:
1. Research
Every industry prioritizes different things, so it might be helpful to look at a handful of resumes from your industry to see what information you should include. Some industries care more about prior experiences while others may prefer to see what training you’ve done.
Another way to figure out how to tailor your resume is to reach out to recruiters in your field or people who have been employed at your prospective company. These people can give you insight that you might not be able to find online.
2. Hard Skills > Soft Skills
Try to focus on hard skills over soft skills. Hard skills are often the skills that are specific to your job and that you’ve acquired through education or training. An example of a hard skill is knowing how to code, speaking two languages or proficiency with Excel.
Soft skills, on the other hand, are skills that are attributes that contribute to your work such as organization, communication and collaboration. These skills are often harder to quantify or qualify than hard skills. However, that doesn’t mean they’re not important. Having a combination of hard and soft skills is always desirable.
On your resume, make sure to list your hard skills in its own section while demonstrating your soft skills through descriptions of your experiences. Some other relevant information to include may be relevant coursework, student organization involvement, certifications, awards and achievements.
3. Use POWERFUL and INTENTIONAL Self-Centered Language
While it sometimes may be uncomfortable to be the center of attention, your resume is supposed to be all about you. Women of color tend to undersell ourselves without realizing it. This can cost us in the job search.
So when writing your resume, center yourself in the narrative. Don’t be afraid to use “I.” Instead of detailing all the ways that you “helped” rephrase your experience to highlight things you “initiated” or “led.”
Also avoid passive language because it separates you from the action. “I led a project” sounds more powerful than “The project was led by me.” Sticking to the basic “subject-verb-object” sentence structure will put you at center stage.
4. Numbers Everywhere
When you can, quantify the impact of experiences listed on your resume. Potential employers like to see numbers because it helps them understand the scale of your work. Adding numbers isn’t as hard as you might think.
Good examples are “Fundraised $30,000 dollars,” “Led a team of 8 people,” “Contributed to 6 projects,” “Provided support to 23 students,” etc.
Just adding in a few digits onto your resume can make you look more legit and more likely to get one step closer to getting your desired job.
5. Aesthetics are Always Important
In some fields, aesthetics are often disregarded in resumes. However, having an aesthetically pleasing resume can not only catch a hiring manager’s eye but also keep their attention on you for longer. I have gotten positive feedback about how my resume looks every single time I’ve given it to a company representative, so don’t underestimate the power of visuals.
You don’t need to be a design whiz to create an aesthetically pleasing resume that reflects who you are. There are plenty of easy-to-use design programs like Canva that you can use to make your resume stand out. If you are a design whiz, designing a unique resume can also be a way to show off your technical and creative skills.
Not every resume will look the same and that’s okay. Your resume should reflect you, so make sure to highlight what you’re proud of. Although creating a resume that perfectly portrays who you are can be hard, keep in mind that your resume is just one thing that you can use to make a good impression. For most job applications, you can also show your passion and qualifications through a cover letter. And once you get that interview, you’ll have yet another opportunity to wow them!
Written by Sam Nguyen and Sne Sinha
