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