Designing A Successful Resume: Build It, Send It, Land It (The Job!)
The first thing you’ll hear as a Contemporaries job seeker, when posing the question, “How do I get a job?” is start by sending your resume.
This is the initial step. Then, as some of you reading this may know, we check with our team on jobs we are tasked with filling and determine whether your knowledge, experience, education, and skill sets match any of our open positions. If you are compatible, the potential placement process begins. It goes without saying that a resume is fundamental, not always easy to prepare, but still an important job tool which should be taken seriously.
There are several reasons why some resumes help candidates land interviews and others don’t. Here are some ways to build a good resume and help us help you get your foot through the door:
• Longevity. We like to see consistency. Were you at a job for a while? That’s great. This shows commitment, reliability, and growth. Of course, when you’re just starting out, or in college, employment timelines can be in shorter spurts, but keep this in mind when constructing your resume. You can also include any volunteer work or internships especially if your resume is light on work experience.
• Use choice keywords. Try to avoid buzzwords (trendy, slang, etc.) or vague language and instead, choose words that are included in the job description. Choose words that get to the heart of what task/role you performed and summarize succinctly, i.e.: coding, strategic oversight, client outreach, Kronos, schedule management, risk analysis, budgeting, etc.
• Formatting should be well organized for easy reading and delivery.
• Cut the clutter. This one is self-explanatory.
• Include “skill-sets” (and accomplishments and achievements), but make sure they’re applicable, current, and not extraneous. Don’t be afraid to “brag” a bit but be choosy. While it indeed may be great that you were an Honor Roll Student or received an award in community service, it may be more beneficial to include that you are fluent in social media programs, HTML, or Microsoft Office Suite.
• Be Explicit, not generic. If you are going for a job in marketing, instead of saying, “Marketing Professional” try “Market Research Lead or Director.” Fine-tune and pinpoint the specific roles of your last job. It shows you know your industry, too.
• Clean it up and follow industry standards. Use active language, pick a single professional font (Calibri, Times New Roman, Arial, etc; 10-12 pt. font), spellcheck, use standard margins, and keep it to one page. These tips should get you started.
While resumes are undoubtedly important, they are only one part of the process. We don’t want you to stress too much, but by following these simple guidelines you’ll be closer to making your way to the next career door. Content, style, and substance all matter. Make it easy to digest, be confident, proofread and edit, review other successful resumes (you can find examples on the Internet!) and press Send. We believe in you and will be waiting to meet you via your resume.
This posting is brought to you by Contemporaries Inc., one of the best temp agencies in Boston MA. Also available for payrolling employees in Boston and Greater Boston
Recent Posts
Wednesday Wellness: Joy
Happy Hump Day! This week, once you’ve made it through today, you’ll be even closer to the work week’s end--and as much as we encourage you to find joy within your workplace, we know that having a day off inspires cheer as well. Allow yourself to feel festive. This...
Creating and Maintaining Joy Within Your Workplace
We know the days leading up to Friday of this week--and the time off it’ll provide--might feel like a drag. So, today we’re examining concrete steps you can take to boost your mood throughout this week. And at any time of year! We’ve gathered tips that will help you...
Monday Mood Booster: Joy
Happy Monday! And when we say that, we truly mean it--this week we’ll be focusing on how to create and harness a sense of happiness within any professional environment and beyond. Mondays can be a drag. But don’t allow yourself to get bogged down in the tasks facing...
Feel Good Friday: Steady
Happy Friday! As the week draws to a close, take a moment to reflect on all the opportunities that each day has brought your way--in other words, take a moment to practice gratitude. This reflection on the past will help to keep you from getting overwhelmed by...
How To Steadily Engage With Technology In Your Workplace
With the snowy forecast slowing you down (or filling you with winter excitement!) we know it can be difficult to stay focused and keep your work performance going steadily. You might find yourself frequently refreshing weather apps, or friends’ social media feeds to...
Wednesday Wellness: Steady
Happy Hump Day! There’s no better day to hit pause and consider ways to maintain a sense of balance and steadiness within your workplace than the week’s midpoint! Take a moment to reflect on the professional accomplishments you’ve already achieved this week as well as...
Maintaining A Steady Pace for Your Workplace Progress
The end of the year is fast approaching, and we know that some big deadlines may accompany it. So, today we’re looking at ways to keep calm and maintain your sense of steadiness within your workplace, no matter the circumstances you encounter. We also know that the...
Monday Mood Booster: Steady
Welcome back! With the excitement of the new year and its new opportunities, it can be easy to get swept up in bursts of intense energy. This week we’ll be focusing on how to best harness and maintain that energy, enabling you to keep going at a steady pace no matter...
Feel Good Friday: Explore
Happy Friday! While the work week may be coming to a close, we encourage you to keep striving towards your goals, and to keep an eye out for new opportunities all around you. And while taking on new responsibilities and breaking old habits may seem overwhelming, don’t...
Exploring Workplace Opportunities
As the new year approaches, we’re thinking about ways to engage in professional exploration--about how to take the skills you’ve already cultivated and turn them into opportunities. While you may not be currently working at your “dream job,” it’s important to remember...
Wednesday Wellness: Explore
Happy Hump Day! As we’re at the work week’s midpoint, today is an excellent day to consider both how far you’ve come, and how far you’d like to strive to reach. And as the new year approaches, this is a great point in time to think about new directions that you’d like...
Allowing Positivity To Be Your Professional Fuel
We’ve said it before and we’ll keep saying it: positivity is key! Overcoming struggles is largely a mental process. And adopting a positive outlook, finding the silver linings amidst difficulties, will amplify your sense of optimism, which will fuel you to keep going....
Wednesday Wellness: Persevere
Happy Hump Day! There’s no better time than now to focus on strengthening your resolve--especially as we approach January and its opportunities to create and enact your New Year’s resolutions. We know you can persevere all the way through the month of December and...
How To Keep Going In Your Workplace
A key component of persevering is remaining motivated. So, today we’re looking at ways to do just that within any workplace! And having the right mindset is essential to building up your motivation. Mentally persevering entails finding opportunities within any...