Ready to write a resume that will land you that job you have been dreaming of?

It can sometimes feel simple and other times intimidating! Where ever you are at in the process, we are gonna give you all of our tips and tricks to help you improve your resume skills with ease.

Begin with the core categories of a resume:

• 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭: obviously you want someone to know where to find you, but make sure that you have updated your LinkedIn and other spaces a potential employer might find you
• 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: make it personal and professional, highlighting what makes you the best candidate for the job
• 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: include all certificates, workshops, conferences and everything that has helped you learn the skills that you are showcasing
• 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: when describing your employment, share all that you accomplished and not just your responsibilities, include data to drive it home
• 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 & 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: highlight your most recent achievements and hone in on the skills that you want to apply to the position you want

Next step is figuring out the best way to lay out your resume!

Choosing the right layout helps you stand out from the crowd. Here are a few tips to help you make the best choice for you:

• Consider the job you are applying for. This will help you decide the best layout and language.
• If the job is more creative, then you can bring more personal style into your resume to show off your skills. But many times, a classic layout can be the more professional choice.
• Chronological resumes will focus on your employment history working from your most recent experience moving backwards. This is the most traditional and common choice, but you may consider a functional resume that will highlight your skills and experience. You may use this to apply for a niche position, possibly in a company you already work for, or as a mini-resume to share while at a career fair. A hybrid resume will combine the two options and is wonderful for a wholistic approach if you have had a diverse career journey.
• No matter what layout you choose, ensuring that you have all of the necessary information on your resume is important. Demonstrate your ability to understand and explain why you are the best candidate for the job. This can highlight your organizational skills and ability to be concise and deliberate.

“When I was pivoting into tech with no experience or background I put EVERYTHING related to the job I wanted on my resume: every conference, every presentation, every workshop, every side project, every online course, etc. This transformed my resume from only a service industry background to looking like a tech resume without the job experience.” -Alison Falk, founder of WITPGH

Here are some tips when writing a summary for your resume:

• Consider the theme of your career journey. How can that demonstrate value?
• Why are you a good fit for this exact role? What skills and qualifications can you share with data and proof?
• What benefit would you bring to the company? How can you showcase it?
• Use keywords to describe yourself accurately that also match the job description.
• Free-write as you answer these questions. Then you can edit it down to a few sentences that highlight the most important and relevant attributes that make you the best fit for the job.

Your resume is your chance to sell yourself! Can you answer this question? Fill in the blanks.

As a ________, I help __________ businesses _______________ and __________________ by _____________________ so they can _________________________.

Add this to your resume summary and LinkedIn profile to let potential employers know what you are all about!

Example: As a digital marketer, I help small businesses engage their community and grow their following by creating meaningful branded content, so they can establish a successful foundation to build from.

How to 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 for each job you apply for 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒:

• 𝑆ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒. As you adjust your resume to fit the job, you will be able to notice whether it really is a good fit for you.
• 𝐶𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒-𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑗𝑜𝑏 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟.  There is no need to start from scratch each time.
• 𝑈𝑠𝑒 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑘𝑒𝑦𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑗𝑜𝑏 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. This will help Application Tracking Systems and recruiters find you.
• 𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 to make sure it sets you up for success with the company for that specific role.
• 𝑀𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟. Although you have done many awesome things, you want to make sure you are highlighting the ones that demonstrate why you are the best person for the job.

“As an executive resume writer, I come across many professionals who mistakenly see their resume as a career chronology (everything they’ve ever done) and not as a strategic career tool. Shifting perspectives isn’t easy, but it’s necessary for resume and job search success. Your resume may be all about you, but it isn’t meant for you.” -Adrienne TOM, Forbes

You don’t have to run from resume red flags! Here are ways to deal with potential concerns:

• Employment gaps or unemployment: Explain what you were doing during the time. Find skills you used that could be applied to this job to make you a candidate.
•  Template resume: Customize your resume for each position you apply for. This demonstrates your effort and attention to detail, while setting yourself up for success.
• Job hopping: This is more acceptable lately but prepare to show the strategy and reasons for job hopping. Illustrate the vast amount of skills you gained throughout your journey.
• Spelling, grammar, & punctuation: It is sometimes the most simple things that count. Proper attention to detail indicates that you are interested, prepared, and capable.
• Over-qualification: Employers may be concerned that you will get bored, leave quickly, or expect a salary they have not budgeted for. Express why you are interested in this exact position so you can address potential issues head-on.
• What your potential employer doesn’t know about you, they don’t know. Don’t be afraid to explain it to them. show who you are. Transparency demonstrates your dedication to finding the right fit for you.

Solutions for the gap in your resume:

• Share your reasons why but don’t feel pressured to give personal details.
• Demonstrate a correlation between the gap and the skills needed for this specific job.
• The pandemic affected many people’s careers in many ways.Your unique reasons are valid.
• Did you volunteer or study? Take time for family or health? Explore your professional options or travel? All have their own contributions that can benefit the skillset you offer your next role.
• Find the positive. What did you gain by your employment gap? How can this make you a better employee now.

Keywords can be an important part of the chance of your resume being noticed! Here’s what you should know:

• Keywords can help your resume stand out to an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), on LinkedIn, and with recruiters.
• Use keywords that match the description of the job you are applying for, as long they accurately describe you.
• Keywords may be skills that you must have to be a candidate for the specific role, such as Photoshop or Python.
• Examples may include adjectives such as detail-oriented or self-motivated or verbs such as managed or developed.

Your resume should tell a story! Follow these tips:

• Start with a compelling headline to grab attention.
• Explain how you grew within your past role, how you overcame challenges, and how you contributed to the success of the company.
• Share actions you took to find a resolution with positive results.
• 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝑎 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠!
• Tell stories that relate to your reader.
• Write for your potential employer and make yourself the hero of your story within your resume. 

Good luck as you craft your resume! YOU GOT THIS!